THE 

TINDER 

BOX 


MAR  I A 

THOMPSON 

DAVIESS 


I     LIBRARY^ 
UNIVERSITY  OF 
CALIfORNIA 
i       SAN  Di  LGC 


presented  to  the 

LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  •  SAN  DIEGO 

by 
FRIENDS  OF  THE  LIBRARY 

Mrs.    Edwin  W.    Meise 

donor 


THE 
TINDER-BOX 


You  don't  need  another  vine,"  I  answered 
mutinously 


THE 

TINDER-BOX 


BY 

MARIA  THOMPSON  DAVIESS 

Author  of 

"The  Melting  of  Molly,"  "Miss  Selina  Lue,'1 
"Sue  Jane,"  Etc. 

WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 
JOHN  EDWIN  JACKSON 


NEW  YORK 

THE  CENTURY  CO. 

19*3 


Copyright,  1913,  by 
THE  CENTURY  Co. 


Published,  November, 


I  DEDICATE  THIS  BOOK  TO 

HANNAH  DAVIESS  PITTMAN 

WHO  BLAZED  MY  TRAIL 

AND  STILL  DOES 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

i.    THE  LOAD 3 

ii.  THE  MAIDEN  LANCE 26 

in.  A  FLINT-SPARK 48 

rv.  SWEETER  WHEN  TAMED? 79 

v.  DEEPER  THAN  SHOULDERS  OR  RIBS  .     .     .  105 

VI.  MAN    AND   THE    ASAFETIDA    SPOON       .        .       .    136 

vii.    SOME  SMOULDERINGS 173 

vin.    AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 211 

ix.    DYNAMITE 248 

x.  TOGETHER?      .          .                                   .  282 


"  You  don't  need  another  vine,"  I  an 
swered  mutinously Frontispiece 

FACING 
FACE 

He  stood  calmly  in  the  midst  of  Sallie's  family 
and  baggage,  both  animate  and  inanimate     .     38 

"  Say,  Polk,  I  let  the  Pup  git  hung  by  her  apron 
to  the  wheel   of  your  car " 98 

His  gray  eyes  were  positively  mysterious  with 

interrupted  dreams 182 

"  We  must  not  allow  the  men  time  to  get  sore 
over  this  matter  of  the  League "     .     .     .218 

"Is  this  right?"  he  asked 244 

"  She 's  our  Mother,"  he  said 276 

Scrouged  so  close  to  his  arm  that  it  was  difficult 

for  both  of  them  to  walk     .  .  280 


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THE  TINDER-BOX 

CHAPTER  I 

THE    LOAD 

ALL  love  is  a  gas,  and  it  takes  either 
loneliness,  strength  of  character,  or 
religion  to  liquefy  it  into  a  condition  to  be 
ladled  out  of  us,  one  to  another.  There  is 
a  certain  dangerously  volatile  state  of  it; 
and  occasionally  people,  especially  of  oppo 
site  sexes,  try  to  administer  it  to  each  other 
in  that  form,  with  asphyxiation  resulting  to 
both  hearts.  And  I  'm  willing  to  confess 
that  it  is  generally  a  woman's  fault  when 
such  an  accident  occurs.  That  is,  it  is  a 
mistake  of  her  nature,  not  one  of  intent. 
But  she  is  learning! 

Also  when  a  woman  is  created,  the  winds 
have    wooed    star-dust,    rose-dew,    peach- 
3 


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down,  and  a  few  flint-shavings  into  a 
whirlwind  of  deviltry,  and  the  world  at 
large  looks  on  in  wonder  and  sore  amaze 
ment,  as  well  as  breathless  interest.  I 
know,  because  I  am  one,  and  have  just  been 
waked  up  by  the  gyrations  of  the  cyclone; 
and  I  'm  deeply  confounded.  I  don't  like 
it,  and  wish  I  could  have  slept  longer,  but 
Fate  and  Jane  Mathers  decreed  otherwise. 
At  least  Jane  decreed,  and  Fate  seems  so 
far  helpless  to  controvert  the  decree. 

I  might  have  known  that  when  this  jolly, 
easy-going  old  Fate  of  mine,  which  I  in 
herited  from  a  lot  of  indolent,  pleasure- 
loving  Harpeth  Valley  Tennesseans,  let  me 
pack  up  my  graduating  thesis,  my  B.  S., 
and  some  delicious  frocks,  and  go  off  to 
Paris  for  a  degree  from  the  Beaux  Arts  in 
Architecture,  we  would  be  caught  up  with 
by  some  kind  of  Nemesis  or  other,  and  put 
in  our  place  in  the  biological  and  ethnolog 
ical  scheme  of  existence.  Yes,  Fate  and  I 
are  placed,  and  Jane  did  it. 
4 


THE  LOAD 

Also,  I  am  glad,  now  that  I  know  what 
is  going  to  happen  to  me,  that  I  had  last 
week  on  shipboard,  with  Richard  Hall  bom 
barding  my  cardiac  regions  with  his  honest 
eyes  and  booming  voice  discreetly  muffled 
to  accord  with  the  moonlight  and  the  quiet 
places  around  the  deck.  I  may  never  get 
that  sort  of  a  joy-drink  again,  but  it  was 
so  well  done  that  it  will  help  me  to  admin 
ister  the  same  to  others  when  the  awful  oc 
casion  arrives. 

"  A  woman  is  the  spark  that  lights  the 
flame  on  the  altar  of  the  inner  man,  dear, 
and  you  '11  have  to  sparkle  when  your  time 
comes,"  he  warned  me,  as  I  hurried  what 
might  have  been  a  very  tender  parting,  the 
last  night  at  sea. 

te  Spark  " —  she  's  a  conflagration  by  this 
new  plan  of  Jane's,  but  I  'm  glad  he  did  n't 
know  about  it  then.  He  may  have  to  suf 
fer  from  it  yet.  It  is  best  for  him  to  be  as 
happy  as  he  can  as  long  as  he  can. 

"  Evelina,  dear,"  said  Jane,  as  she  and 
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Mary  Elizabeth  Conners  and  I  sat  in  the 
suite  of  apartments  in  which  our  proud 
Alma  Mater  had  lodged  us  old  grads,  re 
turned  for  our  second  degrees,  "  your  suc 
cess  has  been  remarkable,  and  I  am  not 
surprised  at  all  that  that  positively  creative 
thesis  of  yours  on  the  Twentieth  Century 
Garden,  to  which  I  listened  to-night,  pro 
cured  you  an  honorable  mention  in  your 
class  at  the  Beaux  Arts.  The  French  are 
a  nation  that  quickly  recognizes  genius.  I 
am  very  happy  to-night.  All  your  honors 
and  achievements  make  me  only  the  more 
certain  that  I  have  chosen  the  right  person 
for  the  glorious  mission  I  am  about  to  of 
fer  you." 

"  Oh,  no,  Jane ! "  I  exclaimed,  from  a 
sort  of  instinct  for  trouble  to  come.  I 
know  that  devoted,  twenty-second  century 
look  in  Jane's  intense,  near-sighted  eyes,  and 
I  always  fend  from  it.  She  is  a  very  dear 
person,  and  I  respectfully  adore  her.  In 
deed,  I  sometimes  think  she  is  the  real  spine 
6 


THE  LOAD 

in  my  back  that  was  left  out  of  me,  and  of 
its  own  strength  got  developed  into  another 
and  a  finer  woman.  She  became  captain 
of  my  Freshman  soul,  at  the  same  time  she 
captured  the  captaincy  of  the  boat  crew, 
on  which  I  pulled  stroke,  and  I  'm  still  hit 
ting  the  water  when  she  gives  the  word, 
though  it  now  looks  as  if  we  are  both  adrift 
on  the  high  and  uncharted  seas  —  or  sitting 
on  the  lid  of  a  tinder-box,  juggling  lighted 
torches. 

"  You  see,  dear,"  she  went  on  to  say 
slowly,  drawing  Mary  Elizabeth  into  the 
spell-bound  circle  of  our  intensity,  as  we 
three  sat  together  with  our  newly-engraved 
sheepskins  on  our  knees,  "  for  these  two 
years  while  you  have  been  growing  and 
developing  along  all  your  natural  lines  in  a 
country  which  was  not  your  own,  in  a  little 
pool  I  should  call  it,  out  of  even  sight  and 
sound  of  the  current  of  events,  we  have 
been  here  in  your  own  land  engaged  in  the 
great  work  of  the  organization  and  reor- 
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ganization  which  is  molding  the  destinies 
of  the  women  of  our  times,  and  those  that 
come  after  us.  That  is  what  I  want  to 
talk  to  you  about,  and  devoutly  have  I  been 
praying  that  your  heart  will  be  receptive  to 
the  call  that  has  claimed  the  life  of  Mary 
Elizabeth  and  me.  There  is  a  particular 
work,  for  which  you  are  fitted  as  no  other 
woman  I  have  ever  known  is  fitted,  and  I 
want  to  lay  the 'case  plainly  before  you  to 
night.  Will  you  give  me  a  hearing?" 

And  the  hearing  I  gave  that  beloved  and 
devout  woman  was  the  reveille  that  awak 
ened  me  to  this  —  this  whirlwind  that 
seems  to  be  both  inside  me  and  outside  me, 
and  everywhere  else  in  the  whole  world. 

It 's  not  woman's  suffrage ;  it  has  gone 
way  down  past  the  road  from  votes  for 
women.  I  wish  I  could  have  stopped  in 
that  political  field  of  endeavor  before  Jane 
got  to  me.  She  might  have  left  me  there 
doing  little  things  like  making  speeches  be 
fore  the  United  States  Senate  and  running 
8 


THE  LOAD 

for  Governor  of  Tennessee,  after  I  had, 
single-handed,  remade  the  archaic  consti 
tution  of  that  proud  and  bat-blind  old  State 
of  my  birth;  but  such  ease  was  not  for  me, 

Of  course  for  years,  as  all  women  have 
been  doing  who  are  sensible  enough  to  use 
the  brains  God  gave  them  and  stop  depend 
ing  on  their  centuries-seasoned  intuitions 
and  fascinations,  I  have  been  reading  about 
this  feminist  revolution  that  seems  all  of  a 
sudden  to  have  revoluted  from  nobody 
knows  where,  and  I  have  been  generally  in 
dignant  over  things  whether  I  understood 
them  or  not,  and  I  have  felt  that  I  was  be 
ing  oppressed  by  the  opposite  sex,  even  if 
I  could  not  locate  the  exact  spot  of  the  pain 
produced.  I  have  always  felt  that  when  I 
got  to  it  I  would  shake  off  the  shackles  of 
my  queer  fondness  and  of  my  dependence 
upon  my  oppressors,  and  do  something  re 
vengeful  to  them. 

When  my  father  died  in  my  Junior  year 
and  left  me  all  alone  in  the  world,  the  first 
9 


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thing  that  made  me  feel  life  in  my  veins 
again  was  the  unholy  rage  I  experienced 
when  I  found  that  he  had  left  me  boda- 
ciously  and  otherwise  to  my  fifth  cousin, 
James  Hardin. 

Cousin  James  is  a  healthy  reversion  to 
the  primitive  type  of  Father  Abraham,  and 
he  has  so  much  aristocratic  moss  on  him 
that  he  reminds  me  of  that  old  gray  crag 
that  hangs  over  Silver  Creek  out  on  Prov 
idence  Road.  Artistically  he  is  perfectly 
beautiful  in  an  Old-Testament  fashion. 
He  lives  in  an  ancient,  rambling  house 
across  the  road  from  my  home,  and  he  is 
making  a  souvenir  collection  of  derelict 
women.  Everybody  that  dies  in  Glendale 
leaves  him  a  relict,  and  including  his  mother, 
Cousin  Martha,  he  n««)w  has  either  seven  or 
nine  female  charges,  depending  on  the  sex 
of  Sallie  Carruthers's  twin  babies,  which  I 
can't  exactly  remember,  but  will  wager  is 
feminine. 

My  being  left  to  him  was  an  insult  to  me, 
10 


THE  LOAD 

though  of  course  Father  did  not  see  it  that 
way.  He  adored  the  Crag,  as  everybody 
else  in  Glendale  does,  and  would  n't  have 
considered  not  leaving  him  precious  me. 
Wanting  to  ignore  Cousin  James,  because 
I  was  bound  out  to  him  until  my  twenty- 
fifth  year  or  marriage,  which  is  worse,  has 
kept  me  from  Glendale  all  these  four  years 
since  father  died  suddenly  while  I  was  away 
at  college,  laid  up  with  the  ankle  which  I 
broke  in  the  gymnasium.  Still,  as  much 
as  I  resent  him,  I  keep  the  letter  the  Crag 
wrote  me  the  night  after  Father  died,  right 
where  I  can  put  my  hand  on  it  if  life  sud 
denly  panics  me  for  any  reason.  It  covers 
all  the  circumstances  I  have  yet  met.  I 
wonder  if  I  ought  to  burn  it  now! 

But,  to  be  honest  with  myself,  I  will 
have  to  confess  that  the  explosively  senti 
mental  scene  on  the  front  porch,  the  night 
I  left  for  college,  with  Polk  Hayes  has  had 
something  to  do  with  my  cowardice  in  lin 
gering  in  foreign  climes.  I  feel  that  it  is 
ii 


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something  I  will  have  to  go  on  with  some 
day,  and  the  devil  will  have  to  pick  up  the 
chips.  Polk  is  the  kind  of  man  that  ought 
to  be  exterminated  by  the  government  in 
sympathy  for  its  women  wards,  if  his  clan 
did  n't  make  such  good  citizens  when  they 
do  finally  marry.  He  ought  at  least  to  be 
labeled  "  poison  for  the  very  young."  I 
was  very  young  out  on  the  porch  that  night. 
Still,  I  don't  resent  him  like  I  do  the  archaic 
Crag. 

And  as  Jane  talked,  my  seasoned  indigna 
tion  of  four  years  against  my  keeper  flared 
up,  and  while  she  paused  at  intervals  for 
breath  I  hurled  out  plans  for  his  demolish- 
ment.  I  wish  now  I  had  been  more  con 
servatively  quiet,  and  left  myself  a  loophole, 
but  I  did  n't.  I  walked  into  this  situation 
and  shut  the  door  behind  me. 

"  Yes,  Evelina,  I  think  you  will  have  to 
insist  forcibly  on  assuming  charge  of  your 
own  social  and  financial  affairs  in  your  own 
home.  It  may  not  be  easy,  with  such  a 

12 


THE  LOAD 

man  as  you  describe,  but  you  will  accom 
plish  it.  However,  many  mediocre  women 
have  proved  their  ability  to  attend  to  their 
own  fortunes,  and  do  good  business  for 
themselves;  but  your  battle  is  to  be  fought 
on  still  higher  grounds.  You  are  to  rise 
and  establish  with  your  fellowman  a  plane 
of  common  citizenship.  You  do  it  for  his 
sake  and  your  own,  and  for  that  of  human- 
ity." 

"  Suppose,  after  I  get  up  there  on  that 
plateau,  I  did  n't  find  any  man  at  all,"  I  ven 
tured  faint-heartedly,  but  with  a  ripple  of 
my  risibles;  the  last  in  life  I  fear. 

"  You  must  reach  down  your  hands  to 
them  and  draw  them  up  to  you,"  she  an 
swered  in  a  tone  of  tonic  inspiration. 
"  You  are  to  claim  the  same  right  to  express 
your  emotions  that  a  man  has.  You  are 
to  offer  your  friendship  to  both  men  and 
women  on  the  same  frank  terms,  with  no 
degrading  hesitancy  caused  by  an  embar 
rassment  on  account  of  your  sex.  It  is  his 
13 


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due  and  yours.  No  form  of  affection  is  to 
be  withheld  from  him.  It  is  to  be  done 
frankly  and  impressively,  and  when  the 
time  comes  — "  I  can  hardly  write  this,  but 
the  memory  of  the  wonderful  though 
fanatic  light  in  Jane's  eyes  makes  me  able 
to  scrawl  it — "that  you  feel  the  mating 
instinct  in  you  move  towards  any  man,  I 
charge  you  that  you  are  to  consider  it  a 
sacred  obligation  to  express  it  with  the  same 
honesty  that  a  man  would  express  the  same 
thing  to  you,  in  like  case,  even  if  he  has 
shown  no  sign  of  that  impulse  toward  you. 
No  contortions  and  contemptible  indirect 
method  of  attack,  but  a  fearless  one  that 
is  yours  by  right,  and  his  though  he  may 
not  acknowledge  it.  The  barbaric  and 
senseless  old  convention  that  denies  women 
the  right  of  selection,  for  which  God  has 
given  her  the  superior  instinct,  is  to  be 
broken  down  by  just  such  women  as  you. 
A  woman  less  dowered  by  beauty  and  all 
feminine  charm  could  not  do  it  just  yet,  but 


THE  LOAD 

to  you,  to  whom  the  command  of  men  is 
a  natural  gift,  is  granted  the  wonderful 
chance  to  prove  that  it  can  be  done,  honestly 
and  triumphantly,  with  no  sacrifice  of  the 
sacredness  of  womanhood." 

"  Oh,  Jane,"  I  moaned  into  the  arm  of 
the  chair  on  which  I  had  bowed  my  head, 

I  am  moaning  now  just  as  much,  down 
in  the  bottom  of  my  heart  Where  are  all 
my  gentle  foremothers  that  smiled  behind 
their  lace  fans  and  had  their  lily-white 
hands  kissed  by  cavalier  gentlemen  in 
starched  ruffles,  out  under  the  stars  that 
rise  over  Old  Harpeth,  that  they  don't 
claim  me  in  a  calm  and  peaceful  death? 
Still,  as  much  as  I  would  like  to  die,  I  am 
interested  in  what  is  going  to  happen. 

"  Yes,  Evelina,"  she  answered  in  an 
adamant  tone  of  voice,  "  and  when  I  have 
the  complete  record  of  what,  I  know,  will 
be  your  triumphant  vindication  of  the  truth 
that  it  is  possible  and  advisable  for  women 
to  assert  their  divine  right  to  choose  a  mate 
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for  their  sacred  vocation  of  bearing  the 
race,  I  shall  proceed,  as  I  have  told  you,  to 
choose  five  other  suitable  young  women  to 
follow  your  example,  and  furnish  them  the 
money,  up  to  the  sum  of  a  hundred  thou 
sand  dollars,  after  having  been  convinced 
by  your  experience.  Be  careful  to  make 
the  most  minute  records,  of  even  the  most 
emotional  phases  of  the  question,  in  this 
book  for  their  guidance.  Of  course,  they 
will  never  know  the  source  of  the  data,  and 
I  will  help  you  elucidate  and  arrange  the 
book,  after  it  is  all  accomplished." 

If  Jane  had  n't  had  two  million  dollars 
all  this  trouble  would  not  be. 

"  I  can  never  do  it ! "  I  exclaimed  with 
horror.  "  And  the  men  will  hate  it  —  and 
me.  And  if  I  did  do  it,  I  could  n't  write  it." 

I  almost  sobbed  as  a  vision  flashed  be 
fore  me  of  thus  verbally  snap-shotting  the 
scene  with  dear  old  Dickie  as  we  stood 
against  the  rail  of  the  ship  and  watched  the 
waves  fling  back  silvery  radiance  at  the  full 
16 


THE  LOAD 

moon,  and  I  also  wondered  how  I  was  to 
render  in  serviceable  written  data  his 
husky : 

"  A  woman  is  the  flame  that  lights  the 
spark  — " 

Also,  what  would  that  interview  with 
Polk  Hayes  look  like  reproduced  with  high 
lights  ? 

"  Now,"  she  answered  encouragingly, 
"  don't  fear  the  men,  dear.  They  are  sen 
sible  and  business-like  creatures,  and  they 
will  soon  see  how  much  to  their  advantage 
it  is  to  be  married  to  women  who  have  had 
an  equal  privilege  with  themselves  of  show 
ing  their  preferences.  Then  only  can  they 
be  sure  that  their  unions  are  from  real 
preferences  and  not  compromises,  on  the 
part  of  their  wives,  from  lack  of  other 
choice.  Of  course,  a  woman's  pride  will 
make  her  refrain  from  courtship,  as  does 
her  brother  man,  until  she  is  financially  in 
dependent,  and  self-supporting,  lest  she  be 
put  in  the  position  of  a  mendicant."  Jane 
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has  thought  the  whole  thing  out  from  Gen 
esis  to  Revelation. 

Still,  that  last  clause  about  the  mendicant 
leaves  hope  for  the  benighted  man  who  still 
wants  the  cling  of  the  vine.  A  true  vine 
would  never  want  —  or  be  able  —  to  hustle 
enough  to  flower  sordid  dollars  instead  of 
curls  and  blushes. 

"  A  woman  would  have  to  be  —  to  be  a 
good  deal  of  a  woman,  not  any  less  one,  to 
put  such  a  thing  across,  Jane,"  I  said,  with 
a  preflash  of  some  of  the  things  that  might 
happen  in  such  a  cruel  crusade  of  reforma 
tion  and  deprivation  of  rights. 

"  That  is  the  reason  I  have  chosen  you 
to  collect  the  data,  Evelina,"  answered 
Jane,  with  another  of  those  glorious  tonic 
looks,  issuing  from  my  backbone  in  her 
back.  "  The  ultimate  woman  must  be 
superb  in  body,  brain,  and  heart.  You  are 
that  now  more  nearly  than  any  one  I  have 
ever  seen.  You  are  the  woman !  " 

I  was  silenced  with  awe. 
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THE  LOAD 

"  Jane  plans  to  choose  five  girls  who 
would  otherwise  have  to  spend  their  lives 
teaching  in  crowded  cities  after  leaving 
college  and  to  start  them  in  any  pro 
fession  they  choose,  with  every  chance  of 
happiness,  in  the  smaller  cities  of  the  South 
and  Middle  West,"  said  Mary  Elizabeth 
gently,  and  somehow  the  tears  rose  in  my 
eyes,  as  I  thought  how  the  poor  dear  had 
been  teaching  in  the  high  school  in  Chicago 
the  two  glorious  years  I  had  been  frolick 
ing  abroad.  No  time,  and  no  men  to  have 
good  times  with. 

And  there  were  hundreds  like  her,  1 
knew,  in  all  the  crowded  parts  of  the  United 
States.  And  as  I  had  begun,  I  thought 
further.  Just  because  I  was  embarrassed 
at  the  idea  of  proposing  to  some  foolish 
man,  who  is  of  no  importance  to  me,  him 
self,  or  the  world  in  general,  down  in  Glen- 
dale,  where  they  have  all  known  me  all  my 
life,  and  would  expect  anything  of  me  any 
way  after  I  have  defied  tradition  and 
19 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

gone  to  college,  five  lovely,  lonely  girls 
would  have  to  go  without  any  delightful 
suitors  like  Richard  —  or  Polk  Hayes,  for 
ever. 

And,  still  further,  I  thought  of  the  other 
girls,  coming  under  the  influence  of  those 
five,  who  might  be  encouraged  to  hold  up 
their  heads  and  look  around,  and  at  least 
help  out  their  Richards  in  their  matri 
monial  quest,  and  as  I  sat  there  with  Jane's 
compelling  and  Mary  Elizabeth's  hungry 
eyes  on  me,  I  felt  that  I  was  being  besought 
by  all  the  lovers  of  all  the  future  genera 
tions  to  tear  down  some  sort  of  awful 
barrier  and  give  them  happiness.  And  it 
was  the  thought  of  the  men  that  was  most 
appealing.  It  takes  a  woman  who  really 
likes  them  as  I  do,  and  has  their  good  really 
at  heart,  to  see  their  side  of  the  question  as 
Jane  put  it,  poor  dears.  Suddenly,  I  felt 
that  all  the  happiness  of  the  whole  world 
was  in  one  big,  golden  chalice,  and  that  I 
had  to  hold  it  steadily  to  give  drink  to  all 
20 


THE  LOAD 

men  and  all  women  —  with  a  vision  of  lit 
tle  unborn  kiddies  in  the  future. 

Then,  before  I  could  stop  myself,  I  de 
cided  —  and  I  hope  the  dear  Lord  —  I  say 
it  devoutly  —  indeed  I  do !  —  will  help  that 
poor  man  in  Glendale  if  I  pick  out  the 
wrong  one.  I  'm  going  to  do  it. 

"  I  accept  your  appointment  and  terms, 
Jane,"  I  said  quietly,  as  I  looked  both  those 
devout,  if  fanatic,  women  in  the  face.  "  I 
pledge  myself  to  go  back  to  Glendale,  to 
live  a  happy,  healthy,  normal  life,  as  use 
ful  as  I  can  make  it.  I  had  intended  to  do 
that  anyway,  for  if  I  am  to  evolve  the  real 
American  garden,  I  can't  do  better  than 
sketch  and  study  those  in  the  Harpeth 
Valley,  for  at  least  two  seasons  all 
around.  I  shall  work  at  my  profession 
whole-heartedly,  take  my  allotted  place  in 
the  community,  and  refuse  to  recognize  any 
difference  in  the  obligations  and  opportuni 
ties  in  my  life  and  that  of  the  men  with 
whom  I  am  thrown,  and  to  help  all  other 
21 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

women  to  take  such  a  fearless  and  honest 
attitude  —  if  Glendale  blows  up  in  con 
sequence.  I  will  seek  and  claim  marriage 
in  exactly  the  same  fearless  way  a  man 
does,  and  when  I  have  found  what  I  want 
I  shall  expect  you  to  put  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  twenty  to  each,  at  the  dis 
posal  of  five  other  suitable  young  women, 
to  follow  my  example,  as  noted  down  in 
this  book  —  if  it  has  been  successful.  Shall 
I  give  you  some  sort  of  written  agreement  ?  " 

"  Just  record  the  agreement  as  a  note  in 
the  book,  and  I  will  sign  it,"  answered 
Jane,  in  her  crispest  and  most  business-like 
tone  of  voice,  though  I  could  see  she  was 
trembling  with  excitement,  and  poor  Mary 
Elizabeth  was  both  awe-struck  and  hopeful. 

I  '11  invite  Mary  Elizabeth  down  to 
Glendale,  as  soon  as  I  stake  out  my  own 
claim,  poor  dear! 

And  here  I  sit  alone  at  midnight,  with 
a  huge,  steel-bound,  lock-and-keyed  book 
that  Jane  has  had  made  for  me,  with  my 
22 


THE  LOAD 

name  and  the  inscription,  "  In  case  of  death, 
send  unopened  to  Jane  Mathers,  Boston, 
Massachusetts,"  on  the  back,  committed  to 
a  cause  as  crazy  and  as  serious  as  anything 
since  the  Pilgrimages,  or  the  Quest  of  the 
Knights  for  the  Grail.  It  also  looks 
slightly  like  trying  to  produce  a  modern 
Don  Quixote,  feminine  edition,  and  my 
cheeks  are  flaming  so  that  I  wouldn't  look 
at  them  for  worlds.  And  to  write  it  all, 
too!  I  have  always  had  my  opinion  of 
women  who  spill  their  souls  out  of  an  ink- 
bottle,  but  I  ought  to  pardon  a  nihilist,  that 
in  the  dead  of  night,  cold  with  terror,  con 
fides  some  awful  appointment  he  has  had 
made  him,  to  his  nearest  friend.  I  am  the 
worst  nihilist  that  ever  existed,  and  the 
bomb  I  am  throwing  may  explode  and  de 
stroy  the  human  race.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  explosion  might  be  of  another 
kind.  Suppose  that  suddenly  a  real  wom 
an's  entire  nature  should  be  revealed  to  the 
world,  might  not  the  universe  be  enveloped 
23 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

in  a  rose  glory  and  a  love  symphony? 
We  '11  see ! 

Also,  could  the  time  ever  come  when  a 
woman  would  n't  risk  hanging  over  the 
ragged  edge  of  Heaven  to  hold  on  to  the 
hand  of  some  man?  Never!  Then,  as 
that  is  the  case,  I  see  we  must  all  keep  the 
same  firm  grip  on  the  creatures  we  have 
always  had,  and  haul  them  over  the  edge, 
but  we  must  not  do  it  any  more  without  let 
ting  them  know  about  it  —  it  is  n't  honest. 
Yes,  women  must  solidify  their  love  into 
such  a  concrete  form  that  men  can  weigh 
and  measure  it,  and  decide  for  themselves 
whether  they  want  to  —  to  climb  to  Heaven 
for  it,  or  remain  comfortable  old  bachelors. 
We  must  n't  any  more  lead  them  into  mar 
riage  blinded  by  the  overpowering  gaseous 
fragrance  called  romantic  love. 

But,  suppose  I  should  lose  all  love  for 
everybody  in  this  queer  quest  for  enlight 
enment  I  have  undertaken?  Please,  God, 
24 


THE  LOAD 

let  a  good  man  be  in  Glendale,  Tennessee, 
who  will  understand  and  protect  me  —  no, 
that 's  the  wrong  prayer !  Protect  him  — • 
no  —  both  of  us ! 


CHAPTER  II 

THE    MAIDEN    LANCE 

A  WOMAN  may  shut  her  eyes,  and 
put  a  man  determinedly  out  of  her 
heart,  and  in  two  minutes  she  will  wake  up 
in  an  agony  of  fear  that  he  is  n't  there. 
Now,  as  I  have  decided  that  Glendale  is  to 
be  the  scene  of  this  bloodless  revolution  of 
mine  —  it  would  be  awful  to  carry  out  such 
an  undertaking  anywhere  but  under  the 
protection  of  ancestral  traditions  —  I  have 
operated  Richard  Hall  out  of  my  inmost 
being  with  the  utmost  cruelty,  on  an  aver 
age  of  every  two  hours,  for  this  week  Jane 
and  I  have  been  in  New  York ;  and  I  have 
still  got  him  with  me. 

I,  at  last,  became  determined,  and  chose 
the  roof-garden  at  the   Astor  to  tell  him 
26 


THE  MAIDEN  LANCE 

good-by,  and  perform  the  final  operation. 
First  I  tried  to  establish  a  plane  of  common 
citizenship  with  him,  by  telling  him  how 
much  his  two  years'  friendship  across  the 
waters  had  meant  to  me,  while  we  studied 
the  same  profession  under  the  same  mas 
ters,  drew  at  the  same  drawing-boards  and 
watched  dear  old  Paris  flame  into  her 
jeweled  night-fire  from  Montmarte,  to 
gether.  I  was  frankly  affectionate,  and  it 
made  him  suspicious  of  me. 

Then  I  tried  to  tell  him  just  a  little,  only 
a  hint,  of  my  new  attitude  towards  his  sex, 
and  before  he  had  had  time  even  to  grasp 
the  idea  he  exploded. 

"  Don't  talk  to  me  as  if  you  were  an 
alienist  trying  to  examine  an  abstruse  case, 
Evelina,"  he  growled,  with  extreme  temper. 
"  Go  on  down  and  rusticate  with  your  rel 
atives  for  the  summer,  and  fly  the  bats  in 
your  belfry  at  the  old  moss-backs,  while  T 
am  getting  this  Cincinnati  and  Gulf  Sta 
tions  commission  under  way.  Then,  when 
27 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

I  can,  I  will  come  for  you.  Let 's  don't 
discuss  the  matter,  and  it 's  time  I  took  you 
back  to  your  hotel." 

Not  a  very  encouraging  tilt  for  my 
maiden  lance. 

I  've  had  a  thought.  If  I  should  turn 
and  woo  Dickie,  like  he  does  me,  I  suppose 
we  would  be  going  so  fast  in  opposite  di 
rections  that  we  would  be  in  danger  of 
passing  each  other  without  recognizing  sig 
nals.  I  wonder  if  that  might  get  to  be  the 
case  of  humanity  at  large  if  women  do  un 
dertake  the  tactics  I  am  to  experiment  with, 
and  a  dearth  of  any  kind  of  loving  and 
claiming  at  all  be  the  result.  I  will  eluci 
date  that  idea  and  shoot  it  into  Jane.  But 
I  have  no  hope ;  she  '11  have  the  answer 
ticketed  away  in  the  right  pigeon-hole, 
statistics  and  all,  ready  to  fire  back  at 
me. 

I  have  a  feeling  that  Jane  won't  expect 
such  a  diary  as  this  locked  cell  of  a  book 
is  becoming,  but  I  can  select  what  looks 
28 


THE  MAIDEN  LANCE 

like  data  for  the  young  from  these  soul 
squirmings,  and  only  let  her  have  those  for 
The  Five.  I  don't  know  which  are  which 
now,  and  I  '11  have  to  put  down  the  whole 
drama. 

And  my  home-coming  last  night  was  a 
drama  that  had  in  it  so  much  comedy, 
dashed  with  tragedy,  that  I  'm  a  little 
breathless  over  it  yet,  Jane,  and  my  mind 
is  breathing  unevenly  still. 

Considering  the  situation,  and  my  inten 
tions,  I  was  a  bit  frightened  as  the  huge 
engine  rattled  and  roared  its  way  along  the 
steel  rails  that  were  leading  me  back,  down 
into  the  Harpeth  Valley.  But,  when  we 
crossed  the  Kentucky  line,  I  forgot  the  hor 
rors  of  my  mission,  and  I  thrilled  glori 
ously  at  getting  back  to  my  hills.  Old 
Harpeth  had  just  come  into  sight,  as  we 
rounded  into  the  valley  and  Providence 
Knob  rested  back  against  it,  in  a  pink  glow 
that  I  knetf  came  from  the  honeysuckle  in 
bloom  all  over  it  like  a  mantle.  I  traveled 
29 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

fast  into  the  twilight,  and  I  saw  all  the 
stars  smile  out  over  the  ridge,  in  answer  to 
the  hearth  stars  in  the  valley,  before  I  got 
across  Silver  Creek.  I  had  n't  let  any  one 
know  that  I  was  coming,  so  I  could  n't  ex 
pect  any  one  to  meet  me  at  the  station  at 
Glendale.  There  was  nobody  there  I  be 
longed  to  —  just  an  empty  house.  I  sup 
pose  a  man  coming  home  like  that  would 
have  whistled  and  held  up  his  head,  but  I 
could  n't.  I  'm  a  woman. 

Suddenly,  that  long  glowworm  of  a 
train  stopped  just  long  enough  at  Glendale 
to  eject  me  and  my  five  trunks,  with  such 
hurried  emphasis  that  I  felt  I  was  being 
planted  in  the  valley  forever,  and  I  would 
have  to  root  myself  here  or  die.  I  still  feel 
that  way. 

And  as  I  stood  just  where  my  feet  were 
planted,  in  the  dust  of  the  road,  instead  of 
on  the  little  ten- foot  platform,  that  did  n't 
quite  reach  to  my  sleeper  steps,  I  felt  as 
small  as  I  really  am  in  comparison  to  the 
30 


THE  MAIDEN  LANCE 

universe.  I  looked  after  the  train  and 
groveled. 

Then,  just  as  I  was  about  to  start  run 
ning  down  the  track,  away  from  nowhere 
and  to  nowhere,  I  was  brought  to  my  senses 
by  a  loud  boohoo,  and  then  a  snubby  choke, 
which  seemed  to  come  out  of  my  bag  and 
steamer-blanket  that  stood  in  a  pile  be 
fore  me. 

"  Train  's  gone,  train  's  gone  and  left  usl 
I  knew  it  would,  when  Sallie  stopped  to  put 
the  starch  on  her  face  all  over  again.  And 
Cousin  James,  he 's  as  slow  as  molasses, 
and  I  could  n't  dress  two  twins  in  not  time 
to  button  one  baby.  Oh,  damn,  oh,  damn !" 
And  the  sobs  rose  to  a  perfect  storm  of  a 
wail. 

Just  at  that  moment,  down  the  short 
platform  an  electric  light,  that  was  so  fee 
ble  that  it  seemed  to  show  a  pine-knot  in 
fluence  in  its  heredity,  was  turned  on  by  the 
station-agent,  who  was  so  slow  that  I  per 
ceived  the  influence  of  a  descent  from  old 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

Mr.  Territt,  who  drove  the  stage  that  came 
down  from  the  city  before  the  war,  and 
my  fellow-sufferer  stood  revealed. 

She  was  a  slim,  red-haired  bunch  of 
galatea,  stylish  of  cut  as  to  upturned  nose 
and  straight  little  skirt  but  wholly  and  de 
fiantly  unshod  save  for  a  dusty  white  rag 
around  one  pink  toe.  A  cunning  little 
straw  bonnet,  with  an  ecru  lace  jabot  dan 
gled  in  her  hand,  and  her  big  brown  eyes 
reminded  me  of  Jane's  at  her  most  inquisi 
tive  moments. 

"If  you  was  on  a  train,  what  did  you 
git  offen  it  here  for?"  she  demanded  of 
me,  with  both  scorn  and  curiosity  in  her 
positive  young  voice. 

"  I  don't  know  why,"  I  answered  weakly, 
not  at  all  in  the  tone  of  a  young-gallant- 
home- from-the-war  mood  I  had  intended  to 
assume  towards  the  first  inhabitant  of  my 
native  town  to  whom  I  addressed  a  remark. 

"  We  was  all  a-goin'  down  to  Hillsboro, 
to  visit  Aunt  Bettie  Pollard  for  a  whole 
32 


week,  to  Cousin  Tom's  wedding,  but  my 
family  is  too  slow  for  nothing  but  a 
funeral.  And  Cousin  James,  he 's  worse. 
He  corned  for  us  ten  minutes  behind  the 
town  clock,  and  Mammy  Dilsie  had 
phthisic,  so  I  had  to  fix  the  two  twins,  and 
we  're  done  left.  I  wisht  I  did  n't  have 
no  family ! "  And  with  her  bare  feet  the 
young  rebel  raised  a  cloud  of  dust  that  rose 
and  settled  on  my  skirt. 

"  There  they  come  now,"  she  continued, 
with  the  pained  contempt  still  rising  in  her 
voice. 

And  around  the  corner  of  the  station 
liurried  the  family  party,  with  all  the  haste 
they  would  have  been  expected  to  use  if 
they  had  not,  just  two  minutes  earlier,  be 
held  their  train  go  relentlessly  on  down  the 
valley  to  Hillsboro  and  the  wedding  cele 
bration.  I  had  n't  placed  the  kiddie,  but  I 
might  have  known,  from  her  own  descrip 
tion  of  her  family,  to  whom  she  belonged. 

First  came  Sallie  Carruthers,  sailing 
33 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

along  in  the  serene  way  that  I  remembered 
to  have  always  thought  like  a  swan  in  no 
hurry,  and  in  her  hands  was  a  wet  box 
from  which  rose  stems  protruded. 

Next  in  the  procession  came  Aunt  Dilsie, 
huge  and  black  and  wheezing,  fanning  her 
self  with  a  genteel  turkey-tail  fan,  and  car 
rying  a  large  covered  basket. 

But  the  tail-piece  of  the  procession  par 
alyzed  all  the  home-coming  emotions  that 
I  had  expected  to  be  feeling,  save  that  of 
pure  hilarity.  James  Hardin  was  carrying1 
two  bubbly,  squirmy,  tousle-headed  babies, 
on  one  arm,  and  a  huge  suitcase  in  the 
other  hand,  and  his  gray  felt  hat  set  on  the 
back  of  his  shock  of  black  hair  at  an  angle 
of  deep  desperation,  though  patience  shone 
from  every  line  of  his  strong,  gaunt  body,, 
and  I  could  see  in  the  half  light  that  there 
were  no  lines  of  irritation  about  his  mouth, 
which  Richard  had  said  looked  to  him  like 
that  of  the  prophet  Hosea,  when  I  had 
shown  him  the  picture  that  Father  had  had 
34 


THE  MAIDEN  LANCE 

snapped  of  himself  and  the  Crag,  with  their 
great  string  of  quail,  on  one  of  their  hunt 
ing-trips,  just  before  Father  died. 

"  Eve !  "  he  exclaimed,  when  he  suddenly 
caught  sight  of  me,  standing  in  the  middle 
of  the  dusty  road,  with  my  impedimenta 
around  me,  and  as  he  spoke  he  dropped 
both  babies  on  the  platform  in  a  bunch,  and 
the  small  trunk  on  the  other  side.  Then 
he  just  stood  and  looked,  and  I  had  to 
straighten  the  roar  that  was  arising  in  me 
at  the  sight  of  him  into  a  conventional 
smile  of  greeting,  suitable  to  bestow  on  an 
enemy. 

But  before  the  smile  was  well  launched, 
Sallie  bustled  in  and  got  the  full  effect 
of  it. 

"  Why,  Evelina  Shelby,  you  darling 
thing,  when  did  you  come  ? "  she  fairly 
bubbled,  as  she  clasped  me  in  the  most  hos 
pitable  of  arms,  and  bestowed  a  slightly 
powdery  kiss  on  both  my  cheeks.  I  weakly 
and  femininely  enjoyed  the  hug,  not  that  a 
35 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

man  might  not  have —  Sallie  is  a  dear,, 
and  I  always  did  like  her  gush,  shame 
facedly. 

"  She  got  offen  that  train  that  left  us,, 
and  she  ain't  got  a  bit  of  sense,  or  she 
would  n't,"  answered  the  Blue  Bunch  for 
me,  in  a  matter-of-fact  tone  of  voice. 

"  What  for  did  you  all  unpack  outen  the 
surrey,  if  you  sawed  the  train  go  by  ?  "  she 
further  demanded,  with  accusing  practical 
ity.  "  Don't  you  know  when  youse  left?" 

"  Oh,  Henrietta,"  exclaimed  SaJlie,  look 
ing  at  the  young  philosopher  with  terrified 
helplessness.  "  Please  don't  mind  her, 
Evelina.  I  don't  understand  her  being  my 
child,  and  nobody  does,  unless  it  was  Hen 
ry's  grandmother  on  his  mother's  side. 
You  had  heard  of  my  loss?  " 

If  I  hadn't  heard  of  the  death  of  Henry 
Carruthers,  Sallie's  elaborate  black  draper 
ies,  relieved  by  the  filmy  exquisiteness  of 
white  crepe  ruches  at  the  neck  and  wrists, 
would  have  proclaimed  the  fact. 
36 


THE  MAIDEN  LANCE 

Suddenly,  something  made  me  look  at 
Cousin  James,  as  he  stood  calmly  in  the 
midst  of  Sallie's  family  and  baggage,  both 
animate  and  inanimate,  and  the  laugh  that 
had  threatened  for  minutes  fairly  flared  out 
into  his  placid,  young  prophet  face. 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  sorry,  Sallie,  and  so  glad 
to  see  all  of  you  that  I  'm  laughing  at  the 
same  time,"  I  exclaimed  to  save  myself 
from  the  awfulness  of  greeting  a  young 
widow's  announcement  of  her  sorrow  in 
such  an  unfeeling  manner.  To  cover  my 
embarrassment  and  still  further  struggles 
with  the  laugh  that  never  seemed  to  be  able 
to  have  itself  out,  I  bent  and  hugged  up 
one  of  the  toddlers,  who  were  balancing 
against  the  Crag's  legs,  with  truly  fem 
inine  fervor. 

"  I  'm  glad  to  see  you,  Evelina,"  said 
Cousin  James  gently,  and  I  could  see  that 
the  billows  of  my  mirth  had  got  entirely 
past  him. 

I  was  glad  he  had  escaped,  and  I  found 
37 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

myself  able  to  look  with  composure  at  his 
queer,  long-tailed  gray  coat,  which  made 
me  know  that  little  old  Mr.  Pinkus,  who 
had  been  Father's  orderly  all  through  the 
war,  was  still  alive  and  tailoring  in  his 
tiny  shop  down  by  the  post-office,  though 
now  that  Father  is  dead  he  probably  only 
does  it  for  Cousin  James.  The  two  of 
them  had  been  his  only  customers  for  years. 
And  as  I  looked,  I  saw  that  the  locks  that 
curled  in  an  ante-bellum  fashion  around  the 
Crag's  ears,  were  slightly  sprinkled  with 
gray,  and  remembered  how  he  had  loved 
and  stood  by  Father,  even  in  the  manner  of 
wearing  Pinkus  clothes;  my  heart  grew 
very  large  all  of  a  sudden,  and  I  held  out 
my  hand  to  him. 

"  I  'm  glad  to  be  at  home,"  I  said,  gazing 
straight  into  his  eyes,  with  a  look  of  affec 
tion  that  you  would  have  been  proud  of, 
Jane, —  using  unconsciously,  until  after  I 
had  done  it,  the  warmth  I  had  tried  unsuc 
cessfully  on  Richard  Hall  at  the  Astor,  not 
38 


He  stood  calmly  in  the  midst  of  Sallie's  family  and  baggage, 
both  animate  and  inanimate 


THE  MAIDEN  LANCE 

forty-eight  hours  ago,  but  two  thousand 
miles  away.  And  it  got  a  response  that 
puzzles  me  to  think  of  yet.  It  was  just  a 
look,  but  there  was  a  thought  of  Father  in 
it,  also  a  suggestion  of  the  glance  he  be 
stowed  on  Sallie's  twins.  I  remembered 
that  the  Crag  seldom  speaks,  and  that 's 
what  makes  you  spend  your  time  breath 
lessly  listening  to  him. 

"  Well,  come  on,  everybody,  let 's  go 
home  and  undress,  and  forget  about  the 
wedding,"  came  in  Henrietta's  positive  and 
•executive  tones.  "  Let 's  go  and  take  the 
strange  lady  with  us.  We  can  have  com 
pany  if  we  can't  be  it.  She  can  sleep  other 
side  of  me,  next  the  wall." 

I  have  never  met  anybody  else  at  all  like 
Henrietta  Carruthers,  and  I  never  shall  un 
less  Jane  Mathers  marries  and  —  I  sin 
cerely  hope  that  some  day  she  and  Jane  will 
meet. 

And  the  next  ten  minutes  was  one  of  the 
most  strenuous  periods  of  time  I  ever  put 
39 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

in,  in  all  my  ife.  I  longed,  really  longed, 
to  go  home  with  Sallie  and  Henrietta,  and 
sleep  next  the  wall  at  Widegables  with  the 
rest  of  the  Crag's  collection.  But  I  knew 
Glendale  well  enough  to  see  plainly  that  if 
I  thus  once  give  myself  up  to  the  conven 
tions  that  by  Saturday  night  they  would 
have  me  nicely  settled  with  his  relicts,  or 
in  my  home  with  probably  two  elderly  wid 
ows  and  a  maiden  cousin  or  so  to  look  after 
me.  And  then,  by  the  end  of  the  next 
week,  they  would  have  the  most  suitable 
person  in  town  fairly  hunted  by  both  spoken 
and  mental  influence,  to  the  moonlight  end 
of  my  front  porch,  with  matrimonial  in 
tentions  in  his  pocket.  I  knew  I  had  to 
take  a  positive  stand,  and  take  it  immedi 
ately.  I  must  be  masculinely  firm.  No 
feminine  wiles  would  serve  in  such  a  crisis 
as  this. 

So,  I  let  Cousin  James  pack  me  into  his 
low,  prehistoric  old  surrey,  in  the  front  seat, 
at  his  side,  while  Sallie  took  Aunt  Dilsie 
40 


THE  MAIDEN  LANCE 

and  one  twin  with  her  on  the  back  seat. 
Henrietta  scrouged  down  at  my  feet,  and  I 
fearingly,  but  accommodatingly,  accepted 
the  other  twin.  It  was  a  perfect  kitten  of 
a  baby,  and  purred  itself  to  sleep  against 
my  shoulder  as  soon  as  anchored. 

The  half-mile  from  the  station,  along  the 
dusty,  quiet  village  streets,  was  accomplished 
in  about  the  time  it  would  take  a  modern 
vehicle  to  traverse  Manhattan  lengthwise, 
and  at  last  we  stopped  at  the  gate  of  Wide- 
gables.  The  rambling,  winged,  wide-ga 
bled,  tall-columned  old  pile  of  time-grayed 
brick  and  stone,  sat  back  in  the  moonlight, 
in  its  tangle  of  a  garden,  under  its  tall  roof 
maples,  with  a  dignity  that  went  straight  to 
my  heart.  There  is  nothing  better  in 
France  or  England,  and  I  feel  sure  that 
there  are  not  two  hundred  houses  in  Amer 
ica  as  good.  I  '11  paint  it,  just  like  I  saw 
it  to-night,  for  next  Spring's  Salon.  A 
bright  light  shone  from  the  windows  of  the 
dining-room  in  the  left  wing,  where  the  col- 
41 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

lection  of  clinging  vines  were  taking  supper, 
unconscious  of  the  return  of  the  left-behinds 
that  threatened. 

And  as  I  glanced  at  my  own  tall-pillared, 
dark  old  house,  that  stands  just  opposite 
Widegables,  and  is  of  the  same  period  and 
style,  I  knew  that  if  I  did  not  escape  into 
its  emptiness  before  I  got  into  Cousin 
Martha's  comfortable  arms,  surrounded  by 
the  rest  of  the  Crag's  family,  I  would  never 
have  the  courage  to  enter  into  the  estate  of 
freedom  I  had  planned. 

"  Sallie,"  I  said  firmly,  as  I  handed  the 
limp  Kitten  down  to  Aunt  Dilsie,  as  Hen 
rietta  took  the  other  one  — "  Puppy  "  I  sup 
pose  I  will  have  to  call  the  young  animal, — 
from  her  mother  and  started  on  up  the 
walk  in  the  lead  of  the  return  expedition, 
"  I  am  going  over  to  stay  in  my  own  home 
to-night.  I  know  it  seems  strange,  but  — 
I  must.  Please  don't  worry  about  me." 

"  Why,  dear,  you  can't  stay  by  yourself, 
with  no  man  on  the  place,"  exclaimed  Sallie, 
42 


THE  MAIDEN  LANCE 

in  a  tone  of  absolute  panic.  "  I  '11  go  tell 
Cousin  Martha  you  are  here,  while  Cousin 
James  unpacks  your  satchel  and  things." 
And  she  hurried  in  her  descent  from  the 
ark,  and  also  hurried  in  her  quest  for  the 
reinforcement  of  Cousin  Martha's  author 
ity. 

"  I  'm  going  to  escape  before  any  of  them 
come  back,"  I  said  determinedly  to  the 
Crag,  who  stood  there  still,  just  looking  at 
me.  "  I  'm  not  up  to  arguing  the  question 
to-night,  for  the  trip  has  been  a  long  one, 
and  this  is  the  first  time  I  have  been  home 
since  —  Just  let  me  have  to-night  to  my 
self,  please,"  I  found  myself  pleading  to 
him,  as  he  held  up  his  arms  to  lift  me  clear 
of  the  wheels. 

His  eyes  were  hurt  and  suffering  for  a 
second,  then  a  strange  light  of  comprehen 
sion  came  from  them  into  mine,  like  a  ben 
ediction,  as  he  gently  set  me  on  my  feet. 

"Must  you,  Eve?" 

"  Yes,"  I  answered,  with  a  gulp  that 
43 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

went  all  the  way  down  to  my  feminine  toes, 
as  I  glanced  across  the  road  at  the  grim, 
dark  old  pile  that  towered  against  the  star 
lit  sky.  "  I  want  to  stay  in  my  own  house 
to-night  —  and  —  and  I  'm  not  afraid." 

"  You  won't  need  to  be  frightened.  I 
understand,  I  think  —  and  here  's  your  key. 
I  always  carry  it  in  my  pocket.  Your 
Father's  candle  is  on  the  mantel.  You  shall 
have  to-night  to  yourself.  Good-night,  and 
bless  your  home-coming,  dear !  " 

"  Good-night,"  I  answered  as  I  turned 
away  from  his  kind  eyes  quickly,  to  keep 
from  clinging  to  him  with  might  and  main, 
and  crossed  the  road  to  my  own  gate. 
With  my  head  up,  and  trying  for  the  whis 
tle,  at  least  in  my  heart,  I  went  quickly 
along  the  front  walk  with  its  rows  of  blush 
peonies,  nodding  along  either  edge.  The 
two  old  purple  lilacs  beside  the  front  steps 
have  grown  so  large  they  seemed  to  be  bar 
ring  my  way  into  my  home  with  longing, 
sweet  embraces,  and  a  fragrant  little  climb- 
44 


THE  MAIDEN  LANCE 

ing  rose,  that  has  rioted  across  the  front 
door,  ever  since  I  could  remember,  bent 
down  and  left  a  kiss  on  my  cheeks. 

The  warm,  mellow  old  moon  flooded  a 
glow  in  front  of  me,  through  the  big  front 
door,  as  I  opened  it,  and  then  hastened  to 
pour  into  the  wide  windows  as  I  threw  back 
the  shutters. 

Logs  lay  ready  for  lighting  in  the  wide 
fireplace  at  the  end  of  the  long  room,  and 
Father's  tobacco  jar  gleamed  a  reflected 
moonlight  from  its  pewter  sides  from  the 
tall  mantel-shelf.  The  old  books  melted 
into  the  dusk  of  their  cases  along  the  wall, 
and  the  portrait  of  Grandfather  Shelby 
lost  its  fierce  gaze  and  became  benign  from 
its  place  between  the  windows. 

I  was  being  welcomed  to  the  home  of  my 
fathers,  with  a  soft  dusk  that  was  as  still 
and  sweet  as  the  grave.  Sweet  for  those 
that  want  it;  but  I  didn't.  Suddenly,  I 
thrilled  as  alive  as  any  terror-stricken 
woman  that  ever  found  herself  alone  any- 
45 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

where  on  any  other  edge  of  the  world,  and 
then  as  suddenly  found  myself  in  a  com 
plete  condition  of  fright  prostration,, 
crouched  on  my  own  threshold.  I  was 
frightened  at  the  dark,  and  could  not  even 
cry.  Then  almost  immediately,  while  I 
crouched  quivering  in  every  nerve  I  seemed 
to  hear  a  man's  voice  say  comfortingly : 
"  You  don't  need  to  be  frightened." 
Courageously  I  lifted  my  eyes  and  looked 
down  between  the  old  lilac  bushes,  and  saw 
just  what  I  expected  I  would,  a  tall,  gray 
figure,  pacing  slowly  up  and  down  the  road. 
Then  it  was  that  fear  came  into  me,  stif 
fened  my  muscles  and  strengthened  my  soul 
—  fear  of  myself  and  my  own  conclusions 
about  destiny  and  all  things  pertaining 
thereto. 

I  never  want  to  go  through  such  another 
hour  as  I  spent  putting  things  in  order  in 
Father's  room,  which  opens  off  the  living- 
room,  so  I  could  go  to  bed  by  candle-light 
in  the  bed  in  which  he  and  I  were  both  born. 
46 


THE  MAIDEN  LANCE 

I  wanted  to  sleep  there,  and  did  n't  even 
open  any  other  part  of  the  grim  old  house. 

And  when  I  put  out  the  candle  and  lay 
in  the  high,  old  four-post  bed,  I  again  felt 
as  small  as  I  really  am,  and  I  was  in  danger 
of  a  bad  collapse  from  self -depreciation 
when  my  humor  came  to  the  rescue.  I 
might  just  as  well  have  gone  on  and  slept 
between  Henrietta  and  the  wall,  as  was  be 
coming  my  feminine  situation,  for  here  my 
determination  to  assert  my  masculine  priv 
ileges  was  keeping  a  real  man  doing  sentry 
duty  up  and  down  a  moonlight  road  all 
night  • —  and  I  wanted  it. 

"  After  this,  James  Hardin,  you  can  con 
sider  yourself  safe  from  any  of  my  atten 
tions  or  intentions,"  I  laughed  to  myself,  as 
I  turned  my  face  into  the  pillow,  that  was 
faintly  scented  from  the  lavender  in  which 
Mother  had  always  kept  her  linen.  "  I  Ve 
been  in  Glendale  two  hours,  and  one  man  is 
on  the  home  base  with  his  fingers  crossed. 
James,  you  are  free !  Oh,  Jane !  " 
47 


CHAPTER  III 

A    FLINT    SPARK 

THE  greatest  upheavals  of  nature  are 
those  that  arrive  suddenly,  without 
notifying  the  world  days  beforehand  of 
their  intentions  of  splitting  the  crust  of  the 
Universe  wide  open.  One  is  coming  to 
Glendale  by  degrees,  but  the  town  has  n't 
found  out  about  it  yet.  I  'm  the  only  one 
who  sees  it,  and  I  'm  afraid  to  tell. 

When  Old  Harpeth,  who  has  been  look 
ing  down  on  a  nice,  peaceful,  man  ordained, 
built,  and  protected  world,  woke  Glendale 
up  the  morning  after  my  arrival  and  found 
me  defiantly  alone  in  the  home  of  my  fathers 
—  also  of  each  of  my  foremothers,  by  the 
courtesy  of  dower  —  he  muttered  and  drew 
3.  veil  of  mist  across  his  face.  Slight 
48 


A  FLINT  SPARK 

showers  ensued,  but  he  had  to  come  out  HI 
less  than  an  hour  from  pure  curiosity.  I 
found  the  old  garden  heavenly  in  its  riot 
of  neglected  buds,  shoots,  and  blooms,  wet 
and  welcoming  with  the  soft  odors  of 
Heaven  itself. 

It  was  well  I  was  out  early  to  enjoy  it, 
for  that  was  to  be  the  day  of  my  tempta 
tion  and  sore  trial.  I  am  glad  I  have  re 
corded  it  all,  for  I  might  have  forgotten 
some  day  how  wonderfully  my  very  pliant, 
feminine  attitude  rubbed  in  my  masculine 
intentions  as  to  my  life  on  the  blind  side 
of  all  the  forces  brought  to  bear  on  me  to 
put  me  back  into  my  predestined  place  in 
the  scheme  of  the  existence. 

"  Your  Cousin  James's  home  is  the  place 
for  you,  Evelina,  and  until  he  explained  to 
me  how  you  felt  last  night  I  was  deeply 
hurt  that  you  had  n't  come  straight,  with 
Sallie,  to  me  and  to  him,"  said  Cousin 
Martha,  in  as  severe  a  voice  as  was  possi 
ble  for  such  a  placid  individual  to  produce. 
49 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

Cousin  Martha  is  completely  lovely,  and  tKe 
Mossback  gets  his  beauty  from  her.  She 
is  also  such  a  perfect  dear  that  her  influence 
is  something  terrific,  even  if  negatively  ex 
pressed. 

"  I  have  come  to  help  you  get  your 
things  together,  so  you  can  move  over  be 
fore  dinner,"  she  continued  with  gentle 
force.  "  Now,  what  shall  we  put  in  the 
portmanteau  first?  I  see  you  have  un-  , 
packed  very  little,  and  I  am  glad  that  it 
confirms  me  in  my  feeling  that  your  coming 
over  here  for  the  night  was  just  a  dutiful 
sentiment  for  your  lost  loved  ones,  and  not 
any  unmaidenly  sense  of  independence  in 
the  matter  of  choice  where  it  is  best  for 
you  to  live.  Of  course,  such  a  question  as 
that  must  be  left  to  your  guardian,  and 
of  course  James  will  put  you  under  my 
care." 

"I  —  I     really     thought     that     perhaps 
Cousin  James  did  not  have  room  for  me, 
Cousin     Martha,"     I     answered     meekly. 
50 


A  FLINT  SPARK 

"  How  many  families  has  he  with  him 
now  ?  "  I  asked  with  a  still  further  meek 
ness  that  was  the  depths  of  wiliness. 

"  There  are  three  of  us  widows,  whom 
he  sustains  and  comforts  for  the  loss  of 
our  husbands,  and  also  the  three  Norton 
girls,  cousins  on  his  father's  side  of  the 
house,  you  remember.  It  is  impossible  for 
them  to  look  after  their  plantation  since 
their  father's  death  robbed  them  of  a  pro 
tector,  at  least,  even  though  he  had  been 
paralyzed  since  Gettysburg.  James  is  a 
most  wonderful  man,  my  dear  —  a  most 
wonderful  man.  Though  as  he  is  my  son  I 
ought  to  think  it  in  silence." 

"  Indeed  he  is,"  I  answered  from  the 
heart.  "  But  —  but  would  n't  it  be  a  little 
crowded  for  him  to  have  another  —  an 
other  vine  —  that  is,  exactly  what  would  he 
do  with  me?  I  know  Widegables  is  wide, 
but  that  is  a  houseful,  isn't  it?" 

"Well,  all  of  us  did  feel  that  it  made 
the  house  uncomfortably  full  when  Sallie 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

came  with  the  three  children,  but  you  know 
Henry  Carruthers  left  James  his  executor 
and  guardian  of  the  children,  and  Sallie  of 
course  could  n't  live  alone,  so  Mrs.  Har 
grove  and  I  moved  into  the  south  room  to 
gether,  and  gave  Sallie  and  the  children  my 
room.  It  is  a  large  room,  and  it  would  be 
such  a  comfort  to  Sallie  to  have  you  stay 
with  her  and  help  her  at  night  with  the  chil 
dren.  She  does  n't  really  feel  able  to  get 
up  with  them  at  all.  Then  Dilsie  could 
sleep  in  the  cabin,  as  she  ought  to  on  ac 
count  of  the  jimsonweed  in  her  phthisic  pipe* 
It  would  be  such  a  beautiful  influence  in 
your  lonely  life,  Evelina,  to  have  the  chil 
dren  to  care  for." 

I  wondered  if  Cousin  Martha  had  ever 
heard  that  galatea  bunch  indulge  in  such 
heartfelt  oaths  as  had  followed  that  train 
down  the  track  last  night! 

"  It  would  be  lovely,"  I  answered  —  and 
the  reply  was  not  all  insincerity,  as  I 
thought  of  the  darkness  of  that  long  night, 
52 


A  FLINT  SPARK 

and  the   Bunch's   offer  of  a  place  at  her 
sturdy  little  back  "  next  the  wall." 

"  But  I  will  be  so  busy  with  my  own 
work,  Cousin  Martha,  that  I  am  afraid  I 
could  n't  do  justice  to  the  situation  and  re 
pay  the  children  and  Sallie  for  crowding 
them." 

"  Why,  you  could  n't  crowd  us,  Evelina, 
honey,"  came  in  Sallie's  rich  voice,  as  she 
sailed  into  the  room,  trailing  the  Pup  and 
the  Kit  at  her  skirts  and  flying  lavender 
ribbons  at  loose  ends.  "  We  Ve  come  to 
help  you  move  over  right  away." 

"  Well,  not  while  I  have  a  voice  in  the 
affairs  of  my  own  husband's  niece!  How 
are  you,  Evelina,  and  are  you  crazy,  Sallie 
Carruthers  ?  "  came  in  a  deep  raven  croak 
of  a  voice  that  sounded  as  if  it  had  harked 
partly  from  the  tomb,  as  Aunt  Augusta 
Shelby  stood  in  the  doorway,  with  reproof 
on  her  lips  and  sternness  on  her  brow. 
"  Peter  and  I  will  have  Evelina  move  down 
immediately  with  us.  James  Hardin  has 
53 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

as  much  in  the  way  of  a  family  as  he  can 
very  well  stand  up  under  now." 

And  as  she  spoke,  Aunt  Augusta  glared 
at  Sallie  with  such  ferocity  that  even  Sal- 
lie's  sunshiny  presence  was  slightly  dimmed. 

"Are  you  ready,  Evelina?  Peter  will 
send  the  surrey  for  your  baggage,"  she  con 
tinued,  and  for  a  moment  I  quailed,  for 
Aunt  Augusta's  determination  of  mind  is 
always  formidable,  but  I  summoned  my 
woman's  wit  and  man's  courage,  and  an 
swered  quickly  before  she  fairly  snatched 
me  from  under  my  own  roof-tree. 

"  That  would  be  lovely,  Aunt  Augusta, 
and  how  are  you  ?  "  I  answered  and  asked 
in  the  same  breath,  as  I  drew  near  enough 
to  her  to  receive  a  business-like  peck  on  my. 
cheek.  "  I  expect  to  have  you  and  Uncle 
Peter  to  look  after  me  a  lot,  but  somehow 
I  feel  that  Father  would  have  liked  —  liked 
for  me  to  live  here  and  keep  my  home  — 
liis  home  —  open.  Some  way  will  ar 
range  itself.  I  haven't  talked  with  Cousin 
54 


A  FLINT  SPARK 

James  yet,"  I  felt  white  feathers  sprouting 
all  over  me,  as  I  thus  invoked  the  masculine 
dominance  I  had  come  to  lay. 

"  You  '11  have  to  settle  that  matter  with 
your  Uncle  Peter,  then,  for,  following  his 
dictates  of  which  I  did  not  approve,  I  have 
done  our  duty  by  the  orphan.  Now,  Eve 
lina,  let  me  say  in  my  own  person,  that  I 
thoroughly  approve  of  your  doing  just  as 
you  plan."  And  as  she  uttered  this  heresy, 
she  looked  so  straight  and  militant  and  al 
together  commanding,  that  both  Cousin 
Martha  and  Sallie  quailed.  I  felt  elated,  as 
if  my  soul  were  about  to  get  sight  of  a 
kindred  personality.  Or  rather  a  soul- 
relative  of  yours,  Jane. 

"  Oh,  she  would  be  so  lonely,  Mrs. 
Shelby,  and  she — "  Sallie  was  venturing 
to  say  with  trepidation,  when  Aunt  Au 
gusta  cut  her  short  without  ceremony. 

"  Lonely,  nonsense  f  Such  a  busy  wo 
man  as  I  now  feel  sure  Evelina  is  going  to 
be,  will  not  have  time  to  be  lonely.  I  wish 
55 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

I  could  stay  and  talk  with  you  further  about 
your  plans,  but  I  must  hurry  back  and 
straighten  out  Peter's  mind  on  that  ques 
tion  of  the  town  water-supply  that  is  to 
come  up  in  the  meeting  of  the  City  Coun 
cil  to-day.  He  let  it  be  presented  all 
wrong  last  time,  and  they  got  things  so 
muddled  that  it  was  voted  on  incorrectly. 
I  will  have  to  write  it  out  for  him  so  he 
can  explain  it  to  them.  I  will  need  you 
in  many  ways  to  help  me  help  Peter  be 
Mayor  of  Glendale,  Evelina.  I  am  wearied 
after  ten  years  of  the  strain  of  his  office.  I 
shall  call  on  you  for  assistance  often  in  the 
most  important  matters,"  with  which  prom 
ise,  that  sounded  like  a  threat,  she  proceeded 
to  march  down  the  front  path,  almost  step 
ping  on  Henrietta,  who  was  coming  up  the 
same  path,  with  almost  the  same  emphasis. 
There  was  some  sort  of  an  explosion,  and 
I  hope  the  kind  of  words  I  heard  hurled 
after  the  train  were  not  used. 

"  That  old  black  crow  is  a-going  to  git 
56 


A  FLINT  SPARK 

in  trouble  with  me  some  day,  Marfy/'  Hen 
rietta  remarked,  as  she  settled  herself  on 
the  arm  of  Cousin  Martha's  chair,  after 
bestowing  a  smudgy  kiss  on  the  little  white 
curl  that  wrapped  around  one  of  the  dear  old 
lady's  pink  little  ears.  I  had  felt  that  way 
about  Cousin  Martha  myself  at  the  Bunch's 
age,  and  we  exchanged  a  sympathetic  smile 
on  the  subject. 

"  Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do,  Eve 
lina?"  asked  Sallie,  and  she  turned  such  a 
young,  helpless,  wondering  face  up  to  me 
from  the  center  of  her  cluster  of  babies, 
that  my  heart  almost  failed  me  at  the  idea 
of  pouring  what  seemed  to  me  at  that  mo 
ment  the  poison  of  modernity  into  the  calm 
waters  of  her  and  Cousin  Martha's  primi 
tive  placidity. 

"  You  '11  have  to  live  some  place  where 
there  is  a  man,"  she  continued,  with  wor 
ried  conviction. 

My  time  had  come,  and  the  fight  was  on. 
Oh,  Jane ! 

57 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

"  I  don't  believe  I  really  feel  that  way 
about  it,"  I  began  in  the  gentlest  of  man 
ners,  and  slowly,  so  as  to  feel  my  way. 
"  You  see,  Sallie  dear,  and  dearest  Cousin 
Martha,  I  have  had  to  be  out  in  the  world 
so  much  —  alone,  that  I  am  —  used  to  it. 
I  —  I  have  n't  had  a  man's  protection  for 
so  long  that  I  don't  need  it,  as  I  would  if 
I  were  like  you  two  blessed  sheltered 
women." 

"  I  know  it  has  been  hard,  dear,"  said 
Cousin  Martha  gently  looking  her  sympathy 
at  my  lorn  state,  over  her  glasses. 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  have  stood  it  at 
all,"  said  Sallie,  about  to  dissolve  in  tears. 
"  The  love  and  protection  and  sympathy  of 
a  man  are  the  only  things  in  life  worth  any 
thing  to  a  woman.  Since  my  loss  I  don't 
know  what  I  would  have  done  without 
Cousin  James.  You  must  come  into  his 
kind  care,  Evelina." 

"  I  must  learn  to  endure  loneliness,"  I 
answered  sadly,  about  to  begin  to  gulp  from 
58 


A  FLINT  SPARK 

force  of  example,  and  the  pressure  of  long 
hereditary  influence. 

I  'm  glad  that  I  did  not  dissolve,  how 
ever,  before  what  followed  happened,  for 
in  the  twinkling  of  two  bare  feet  I  was 
smothered  in  the  embrace  of  Henrietta,  who 
in  her  rush  brought  either  the  Pup  or  the 
Kit,  I  can't  tell  which  yet,  along  to  help 
her  enfold  me. 

"  I  '11  come  stay  with  you  forever,  and 
we  don't  need  no  men!  Don't  like  'em  no 
how  !  "  she  was  exclaiming  down  my  back, 
when  a  drawl  from  the  doorway  made  us 
all  turn  in  that  direction. 

"  Why,  Henrietta,  my  own,  can  it  be  you 
who  utter  such  cruel  sentiments  in  my  ab 
sence  ?  "  and  Polk  Hayes  lounged  into  the 
room,  with  the  same  daring  listlessness  that 
he  had  used  in  trying  to  hold  me  in  his 
arms  out  on  the  porch  the  night  I  had  said 
good-by  to  him  and  Glendale,  four  years 
ago. 

Henrietta's  chubby  little  body  gave  a 
59 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

wriggle  of  delight,  and  much  sentiment 
beamed  in  her  rugged,  small  face,  as  she 
answered  him  with  enthusiasm,  though  not 
stopping  to  couch  her  reply  in  exactly  com 
plimentary  terms. 

"  You  don't  count,  Pokie,"  she  ex 
claimed,  as  she  made  a  good-natured  face 
at  him. 

"  That 's  what  Evelina  said  four  years 
ago  —  and  she  has  proved  it,"  he  answered 
her,  looking  at  me  just  exactly  as  if  he  had 
never  left  off  doing  it  since  that  last  dance. 

"  How  lovely  to  find  you  in  the  same 
exuberant  spirits  in  which  I  left  you,  Polk, 
dear,"  I  exclaimed,  as  I  got  up  to  go  and 
shake  hands  with  him,  as  he  had  sunk  into 
the  most  comfortable  chair  in  the  room, 
without  troubling  to  bestow  that  attention 
upon  me. 

Some  men's  hearts  beat  with  such  a  strong 

rhythm   that   every   feminine   heart   which 

comes  within  hearing  distance  immediately 

catches  step,  and  goes  to  waltzing.     It  has 

60 


A  FLINT  SPARK 

been  four  years  since  mine  swung  around 
against  his,  at  that  dance,  but  I  'm  glad 
Cousin  Martha  was  there,  and  interrupted 
us  enough  to  make  me  drag  my  eyes  from 
his,  as  he  looked  up  and  I  looked  down. 

"  Please  help  us  to  persuade  Evelina  to 
come  and  live  with  James  and  me,  Polk, 
dear,"  she  said,  glancing  at  him  with  the 
deepest  confidence  and  affection  in  her 
eyes.  There  is  no  age-limit  to  Folk's  vic 
tims,  and  Cousin  Martha  had  always  adored 
him. 

"  All  women  do,  Evelina,  why  not  you  — 
live  with  James?  "  he  asked,  and  I  thought 
I  detected  a  mocking  flicker  in  his  big, 
hazel,  dangerous  eyes. 

"If  I  ever  need  protection  it  will  be 
James  —  and  Cousin  Martha  I  will  run  to 
for  it  —  but  I  never  will,"  I  answered  him, 
very  simply,  with  not  a  trace  of  the  defiance 
I  was  fairly  flinging  at  him  in  either  my 
voice  or  manner. 

Paris  and  London  and  New  York  are 
61 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

nice  safe  places  to  live  in,  in  comparison  with 
Glendale,  Tennessee,  in  some  respects.  I 
wonder  why  I  had  n't  been  more  scared 
than  I  was  last  night,  as  the  train  whirled 
me  down  into  proximity  to  Polk  Hayes.  But 
then  I  had  had  four  years  of  forgetting 
him  stored  up  as  a  bulwark. 

"  But  what  are  you  going  to  do,  Eve 
lina  ?  "  Sallie  again  began  to  question,  with 
positive  alarm  in  her  voice,  and  I  saw  that 
it  was  time  for  me  to  produce  some  sort  of 
a  protector  then  and  there  —  or  capitulate. 

And  I  record  the  fact  that  I  wanted  to 
go  home  with  Sallie  and  Cousin  Martha 
and  the  babies  and  —  and  live  under  the 
roof  of  the  Mossback  forever.  All  that 
citizenship- feeling  I  had  got  poured  into 
me  from  Jane  and  had  tried  on  Dickie, 
good  old  Dickie,  had  spilled  out  of  me  at 
the  first  encounter  with  Polk. 

There  is  a  great  big  hunt  going  on  in 
this  world,  and  women  are  the  ones  only 
a  short  lap  ahead.  Can  we  turn  and  make 
62 


A  FLINT  SPARK 

good  the  fight  —  or  won't  we  be  torn  to 
death?  It  has  come  to  this  it  seems: 
women  must  either  be  weak,  and  cling  so 
close  to  man  that  she  can't  be  struck,  keep 
entirely  out  of  the  range  of  his  fists  and 
arms,  —  or  develop  biceps  equal  to  his. 
Jane  ought  to  have  had  me  in  training 
longer,  for  I  'm  discovering  that  I  'm  weak 
—  of  biceps. 

"  Are  you  coming  —  are  you  coming  to 
live  with  us,  Evelina?  Are  you  coming? 
Answer !  "  questioned  the  small  Henrietta,, 
as  she  stood  commandingly  in  front  of  me. 

"  Please,  Evelina,"  came  in  a  coax  from 
Sallie,  while  the  Kit  crawled  over  and 
caught  at  my  skirt  as  Cousin  Martha  raised 
her  eyes  to  mine,  with  a  gentle  echo  of  the 
combined  wooings. 

Then  suddenly  into  Folk's  eyes  flamed 
still  another  demand,  that  something  told 
me  I  would  have  to  answer  later.  I  had 
capitulated  and  closed  this  book  forever 
when  the  deliverance  came. 
63 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

Jasper,  a  little  older,  but  as  black  and 
pompous  as  ever,  stood  in  the  doorway,  and 
a  portly  figure,  with  yellow,  shining  face, 
on  the  step  behind  him. 

"  Why,  Uncle  Jasper,  how  did  you  know 
I  was  here  ?  "  I  exclaimed,  as  I  fairly  ran 
to  hold  out  my  hand  to  him. 

"  Mas'  James  sont  me  word  last  night, 
and  I  woulder  been  here  by  daybreak, 
Missie,  'cept  I  had  to  hunt  dis  yere  suitable 
woman  to  bring  along  with  me.  Make 
your  'beesence  to  Miss  Evelina,  Lucy  Pe 
tunia,"  he  commanded. 

"  You  need  n't  to  bother  to  show  her  any 
thing,  child,"  he  continued  calmly,  "  I  '11 
learn  her  all  she  needs  to  know  to  suit  us. 
Then,  if  in  a  week  she  have  shown  suitable 
ability  to  please  us  both,  my  word  is  out  to 
marry  her  next  Sunday  night.  Ain't  that 
the  understanding,  Tuny  ?  "  he  this  time  de 
manded. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  the  Petunia  with 


64 


A  FLINT  SPARK 

radiant  but  modest  hope  shining  from  her 
comely  yellow  face. 

"  I  've  kept  everything  ready  for  you 
child,  since  Old  Mas'  died,  and  I  ain't  never 
stayed  offen  the  place  a  week  at  a  time  —  I 
was  just  visiting  out  Petunia's  way  when  I 
heard  you  'd  come,  and  gittin'  a  wife  to 
tend  to  us  and  back  to  you  quick  was  the 
only  thing  that  concerned  me.  Now,  we 
can  all  settle  down  comf'table,  while  I  has 
Tuny  knock  up  some  dinner,  a  company  one 
I  hopes,  if  Miss  Martha  and  the  rest  will 
stay  with  us."  Jasper's  manner  is  an  ex 
act  copy  of  my  Father's  courtly  grace,  done 
in  sepia,  and  my  eyes  misted  for  a  second, 
as  I  reciprocated  his  invitation,  taking  ac 
ceptance  for  granted. 

"Of  course  they  will  stay,  Uncle  Jasper." 

"  Well,"  remarked  Sallie  with  a  gasp, 
"  you  've  gone  to  housekeeping  in  two  min 
utes,  Evelina." 

"  Jasper  has  always  been  a  very  force 
ful  personality,"  said  Cousin  Martha. 
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THE  TINDER-BOX 

"  He  managed  everything  for  your  Father 
at  the  last,'  Evelina,  and  I  don't  know  how 
the  whole  town  would  have  been  easy  about 
the  Colonel  unless  they  had  trusted  Jasper." 

"  I  like  the  terms  on  which  he  takes  unto 
himself  a  wife,"  drawled  Polk,  as  he  lighted 
a  cigarette  without  looking  at  me.  "  Good 
for  Jasper ! " 

"  However,  it  does  take  a  '  forceful  per 
sonality  '  to  capture  a  '  suitable  woman  '  in 
that  manner,"  I  answered  with  just  as 
much  unconcern,  and  then  we  both  roared, 
while  even  Sallie  in  all  her  anxiety  joined 
in. 

The  commanding,  black  old  man,  and  the 
happy-faced,  plump,  little  yellow  woman, 
had  saved  one  situation  —  and  forced  an 
other,  perhaps  ? 

Jasper's  home-coming  dinner  party  was 
a  large  and  successful  one.  Two  of  the 
dear  little  old  Horton  lady-cousins  got  so 
impatient  at  Cousin  Martha's  not  bringing 
me  back  to  Widegables  that  they  came  tee- 
66 


A  FLINT  SPARK 

taring  over  to  see  about  it,  heavily  accom 
panied  by  Mrs.  Hargrove,  whose  son  had 
been  Cousin  James's  best  friend  at  the  Uni 
versity  of  Virginia,  and  died  and  left  her 
to  him  since  I  had  been  at  college.  The 
ponderosity  of  her  mind  was  only  equaled 
by  that  of  her  body.  I  must  say  Petunia 
made  a  hit  with  the  dear  old  soul,  by  the 
seasoning  of  her  chicken  gravy. 

Sallie  wanted  to  send  the  children  home, 
but  Jasper  would  n't  let  her,  and  altogether 

we  had  eleven  at  the  table. 

i 

Polk  manceuvered  for  a  seat  at  the  head 
of  my  festive  board,  with  a  spark  of  the 
devil  in  his  eyes,  but  Jasper's  sense  of  the 
proprieties  did  not  fail  me,  and  he  seated 
Cousin  Martha  in  Father's  chair,  with 
great  ceremony. 

And  as  I  looked  down  the  long  table, 
bright  with  all  the  old  silver  Jasper  had  had 
time  to  polish,  gay  with  roses  from  my 
garden,  that  he  had^ coaxed  Henrietta  into 
gathering  for  him,  which  nodded  back  and 
67 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

forth  with  the  bubbling  babies,  suddenly 
my  heart  rilled  to  the  very  brim  with  love 
of  it  all  —  and  for  mine  own  people. 

But,  just  as  suddenly,  a  vision  came  into 
my  mind  of  the  long  table  across  the  road 
at  Widegables,  with  the  Mossback  seated 
at  one  end  with  only  two  or  three  of  his 
charges  stretched  along  the  empty  sides  to 
keep  him  company. 

I  wanted  him  to  be  here  with  us!  I 
wanted  him  badly,  and  I  went  to  get  him. 
I  excused  myself  suddenly,  telling  them  all 
just  why.  I  did  n't  look  at  Polk,  but 
Cousin  Martha's  face  was  lovely,  as  she 
told  me  to  run  quickly. 

I  found  him  on  the  front  porch,  smoking 
his  pipe  alone,  while  the  two  little  relics, 
whom  he  had  had  left  to  dine  with  him, 
were  taking  their  two  respective  naps.  Our 
dinner  was  late  on  account  of  the  initiation 
of  Petunia,  and  he  had  finished  before  we 
began. 

"  I  stole  most  of  your  family  to-day," 
68 


A  FLINT  SPARK 

I  plunged  headlong  into  my  errand,  "  but 
I  want  you,  too,  most  of  all." 

"  You  've  got  me,  even  if  you  do  prefer 
to  keep  me  across  the  road  from  you,"  he 
answered,  with  the  most  solemn  expression 
on  his  face,  but  with  a  crinkle  of  a  smile 
in  the  corners  of  his  deep  eyes. 

I  can't  remember  when  I  did  n't  look 
with  eagerness  for  that  crinkle  in  his  eyes, 
even  when  I  was  a  child  and  he  what  I  at 
that  time  considered  a  most  glorious  grown 
up  individual,  though  he  must  have  been 
the  most  helpless  hobbledehoy  that  ever  ex 
isted. 

"  You  don't  need  another  vine,"  I  an 
swered  mutinously. 

"  You  know  I  want  you,  but  Jasper's  is  the 
privilege  of  looking  after  you,"  he  answered 
calmly.  "  I  want  you  to  be  happy,  Eve 
lina,"  and  I  knew  as  I  raised  my  eyes  to  his 
that  I  could  consider  myself  settled  in  my 
own  home. 

"  Well,  then,  come  and  have  dinner  num- 
69 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

her  two  with  me,"  I  answered  with  a  laugh 
that  covered  a  little  happy  sigh  that  rose 
from  my  heart  at  the  look  in  the  kind  eyes 
bent  on  mine. 

I  felt,  Jane,  you  would  have  approved  of 
that  look!  It  was  so  human  to  human. 

He  came  over  with  me,  and  that  was  one 
jolly  party  in  the  old  dining-room.  They 
all  stayed  until  almost  sunset,  and  almost 
everybody  in  town  dropped  in  during  the 
afternoon  to  welcome  me  home,  and  ask 
me  where  I  was  going  to  live.  Jasper  and 
Petunia  hovering  in  the  background,  the 
tea-tray  out  on  the  porch  set  with  the  silver 
and  damask  all  of  them  knew  of  old,  and  the 
appearance  of  having  been  installed  with  the 
full  approval  of  Cousin  Martha  and  James 
and  the  rest  of  the  family,  stopped  the  ques 
tions  on  their  lips,  and  they  spent  the  after 
noon  much  enlivened  but  slightly  puzzled. 

Time  does  n't  do  much  to  people  in  a 
place  like  the  Harpeth  Valley,  that  is  out 
of  the  stream  of  modern  progress;  and 
70 


A  FLINT  SPARK 

most  of  my  friends  seem  to  have  just  been 
sitting  still,  rocking  their  lives  along  in  the 
greatest  ease  and  comfort. 

Still,  Mamie  Hall  has  three  more  kiddies, 
which,  added  to  the  four  she  had  when  I 
left,  makes  a  slightly  high,  if  charming,  set 
of  stair-steps.  Mamie  also  looks  decidedly 
worn,  though  pathetically  sweet.  Ned  was 
with  her,  and  as  fresh  as  any  one  of  the 
buds.  Maternity  often  wilts  women,  but 
paternity  is  apt  to  make  men  bloom  with 
the  importance  of  it.  Ned  showed  off  the 
bunch  as  if  he  had  produced  them  all,  while 
Mamie  only  smiled  like  an  angel  in  the  back 
ground. 

A  slight  bit  of  temper  rose  in  a  flush  to 
my  cheeks,  as  I  watched  Caroline  Lellyett 
sit  on  the  steps  and  feed  cake  to  one  twin 
and  two  stair-steps  with  as  much  hunger  in 
her  eyes  for  them  as  there  was  in  theirs  for 
the  cake.  Lee  Greenfield  is  the  responsible 
party  in  this  case,  and  she  has  been  loving 
him  hopelessly  for  fifteen  years.  Lots  of 
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THE  TINDER-BOX 

other  folks  wanted  to  marry  her,  but  Lee 
has  pinned  her  in  the  psychic  spot  and  is 
watching  her  flutter. 

Polk  departed  in  the  trail  of  Nell  Kirk- 
land's  fluffy  muslin  skirts,  smoldering  dan 
gerously,  I  felt.  Nell  has  grown  up  into 
a  most  lovely  individual,  and  I  felt  uneasy 
about  her  under  Folk's  ministrations.  Her 
eyes  follow  him  rather  persistently.  On 
the  whole,  I  am  glad  Jane  committed  me  to 
this  woman's  cause.  I  '11  have  to  begin  to 
exercise  the  biceps  of  Nell's  heart  —  as 
soon  as  I  get  some  strength  into  my  own. 

And  after  they  had  all  gone,  I  sat  for  an 
hour  out  on  the  front  steps  of  my  big, 
empty  old  house,  and  enjoyed  my  own 
loneliness,  if  it  could  be  called  enjoying.  I 
could  hear  the  Petunia's  happy  giggle,  an 
swering  Jasper's  guttural  pleasantries,  out 
on  the  cabin  porch  behind  the  row  of  lilac 
bushes.  I  do  hope  that  Petunia  gets  much 
and  the  right  sort  of  courting  during  this 
week  that  Jasper  has  allowed  her!  , 
72 


A  FLINT  SPARK 

With  the  last  rays  of  the  sun,  I  had 
found  time  to  read  a  long,  dear  letter  from 
Richard  Hall,  and  though  I  had  trans 
ferred  it  from  my  pocket  to  my  desk,  while 
I  dressed  for  the  afternoon,  its  crackle  was 
still  in  my  mind.  I  wondered  what  it  all 
meant,  this  dissatisfied  longing  that  human 
beings  send  out  across  time  and  distance, 
one  to  and  for  another. 

If  a  woman's  heart  were  really  like  a 
great  big  golden  chalice,  full  to  the  brim 
with  the  kind  of  love  she  is  taught  God 
wants  her  to  have  in  it  for  all  mankind, 
both  men  and  women,  why  should  n't  she 
offer  drafts  of  it  to  every  one  who  is  thirsty, 
brothers  as  well  as  sisters?  I  wonder  how 
that  would  solve  Jane's  problem  of  emo 
tional  equality !  I  do  love  Dicky  —  and  — 
and  I  do  love  Polk  —  with  an  inclination  to 
dodge.  Now,  if  there  were  enough  of  the 
right  sort  of  love  in  me,  I  ought  to  be  able 
to  get  them  to  see  it,  and  drink  it  for  their 
comforting,  and  have  no  trouble  at  all  with 
73 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

them  about  their  wanting  to  seize  the  cup, 
drain  all  the  love  there  is  in  it,  shut  it  away 
from  the  rest  of  the  world  —  and  then 
neglect  it. 

Yes,  why  can't  I  love  Polk  as  I  love  you, 
Jane,  and  have  him  enjoy  it?  Yes,  why? 

I  think  if  I  had  Dicky  off  to  myself  for 
a  long  time,  and  very  gently  led  him  up  to 
the  question  of  loving  him  hard  in  this  new 
way,  he  might  be  induced  to  sip  out  of  the 
cup  just  to  see  if  he  liked  it  —  and  it  might 
be  just  what  he  craved,  for  the  time  being; 
but  I  doubt  it.  He  would  storm  and 
bluster  at  the  idea. 

Of  course  the  Crag  would  let  a  woman 
love  him  in  any  old  kind  of  new  or  experi 
mental  way  she  wanted  to,  if  it  made  her 
happy.  He  would  take  her  cup  of  tender 
ness  and  drink  it  as  if  it  were  sacramental 
wine,  on  his  knees.  But  he  does  n't  count. 
He  has  to  be  man  to  so  many  people  that 
there  is  danger  of  his  becoming  a  kind  of 
superman.  Think  of  the  old  Mossback  be- 
74 


A  FLINT  SPARK 

ing  a  progressive  thing  like  that !  I  laughed 
out  loud  at  the  idea  —  but  the  echo  was 
dismal. 

I  wonder  if  Sallie  will  marry  him. 

And  as  I  sat  and  thought  and  puzzled, 
the  moonlight  got  richer  and  more  glowing, 
and  it  wooed  open  the  throats  of  the  thou 
sand  little  honey-suckle  blossoms,  clinging 
to  the  vine  on  the  trellis,  until  they  poured 
out  a  perfect  symphony  of  perfume  to 
mingle  in  a  hallelujah  from  the  lilacs  and 
roses  that  ascended  to  the  very  stars  them 
selves. 

I  had  dropped  my  head  on  my  arms,  and 
let  my  eyes  go  roaming  out  to  the  dim  hills 
that  banked  against  the  radiant  sky,  when 
somebody  seated  himself  beside  me,  and  a 
whiff  of  tobacco  blew  across  my  face,  sweet 
with  having  joined  in  the  honeysuckle 
chorus.  Nobody  said  a  word  for  a  long 
time,  and  then  I  looked  up  and  laughed  into 
the  deep,  gray  eyes  looking  tenderly  down 
into  mine.  With  a  thrill  I  realized  that 
75 


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there  was  one  man  in  the  world  I  could  of 
fer  the  chalice  to  and  trust  him  to  drink  — 
moderately. 

"  Jamie,"  I  said  in  a  voice  as  young  as  it 
used  to  be  when  I  trailed  at  his  heels, 
"  thank  you  for  letting  me  be  contrary  and 
independent  and  puzzling.  I  have  been 
busy  adventuring  with  life,  in  queer  places 
and  with  people  not  like  —  like  us.  Now 
I  want  a  little  of  real  living  and  to  think  — 
and  feel.  May  I?" 

"  You  may,  dear,"  the  Crag  answered  in 
a  big  comfortable  voice,  that  was  a  benedic 
tion  in  itself.  "  I  understood  last  night 
when  you  told  me  that  you  wanted  to  come 
home  alone.  I  can  trust  Jasper  with  you, 
and  I  am  going  to  sleep  down  at  the  lodge 
room,  right  across  the  road  here,  so  I  can 
hear  you  if  you  even  think  out  loud.  No 
one  shall  worry  you  about  it  any  more. 
Now  will  you  promise  to  be  happy  ?  " 

I  could  not  answer  him,  I  was  so  full  of 
a  deepness  of  peace.  I  just  laid  my  cheek 
76 


A  FLINT  SPARK 

against  the  sleeve  of  his  queer  old  gray 
coat,  to  show  him  what  I  could  not  say. 
He  let  me  do  it,  and  went  on  smoking  with 
out  noticing  me. 

Then,  after  a  little  while,  he  began  to  tell 
me  all  about  Father  and  his  death,  that  had 
come  so  suddenly  while  he  seemed  as  well 
as  ever,  and  how  he  had  worried  about  my 
probably  not  wanting  to  be  left  to  him,  and 
that  he  wanted  me  to  feel  independent,  but 
to  please  let  him  do  all  that  I  would  to  help 
me,  and  not  to  feel  that  I  was  alone  with 
nobody  to  love  me.  That  he  was  always 
there,  and  would  be  forever  and  ever. 

And  he  did  stay  so  late  that  Jasper  had 
to  send  him  home ! 

There  is  such  a  thing  as  a  man's  being  a 
father  and  mother  and  grown  sister  and 
brother  and  a  college-chum  and  a  preacher 
of  the  Gospel  and  a  family  physician  to  a 
woman  —  with  no  possibility  of  being  her 
husband  either.  She  would  n't  so  drag 
such  a  man  from  his  high  estate  as  to  think 
77 


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of  such  a  worldly  relation  in  connection 
with  him. 

I  have  certainly  collected  some  phenom 
ena  in  the  reaction  of  a  woman's  heart  this 
day.  Did  you  choose  me  wisely  for  these 
experiments,  Jane? 

It  takes  a  woman  of  nerve  to  go  to  house 
keeping  in  a  tinder-box,  when  she  is  n't  sure 
she  even  knows  what  flint  is  when  she  sees 
it,  and  might  strike  out  a  spark  without 
intending  it  at  all. 


CHAPTER  IV 

• 

SWEETER   WHEN    TAMED? 

I  WONDER  if  men  ever  melt  suddenly 
into  little  boys,  and  try  to  squirm  and 
run  back  to  hide  their  heads  in  their  mothers' 
skirts.  It  is  an  open  secret  that  starchy, 
modern  women  often  long  to  wilt  back  into 
droopy  musk  roses,  that  climb  over  gates 
and  things,  but  they  don't  let  each  other. 
When  I  feel  myself  getting  soluble,  I  write 
it  out  to  Jane  and  I  get  a  bracing  cold  wave 
of  a  letter  in  reply.  The  one  this  morning 
was  on  the  subject  of  love,  or,  at  least,  that 
is  what  Jane  would  have  said  it  was  on. 
She  wrote: 

Yes,   it  is  gratifying  to  know  that   Mary 
Elizabeth  is  so  happily  engaged  to  the  young 
79 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

teacher  who  has  been  in  her  work  with  her. 
She  writes  that  she  was  encouraged  by  our 
resolution,  at  last  to  be  her  best  self  while  in 
his  presence  as  she  had  not  had  the  courage  to 
do  last  year.  You  see,  Evelina?  And  also, 
you  are  right  in  your  conclusion  that  there  is 
not  enough  abstract  love  in  this  world  of 
brotherhood  and  sisterhood;  that  the  doctrine 
of  divine  love  calls  us  to  give  more  and  more 
of  it.  We  cannot  give  too  much!  But  also, 
considerations  for  the  advancement  of  the 
world  call  for  experiments  by  the  more 
illumined  women  along  more  definite  and 
concrete  lines.  How  old  is  this  Mr.  Hayes, 
on  whom  you  have  chosen  to  note  the  re 
actions  of  sisterly  affection?  Are  you  sure 
that  he  is  not  a  fit  subject  for  your  considera 
tion  in  the  matter  of  a  choice  for  a  mate? 
Remember  to  be  as  frank  in  your  expressions 
of  regard  for  him  as  he  is  in  his  of  regard  for 
you.  That  is  the  crux  of  the  whole  matter. 
Be  frank,  be  courageous !  Let  a  man  look 
freely  into  your  heart,  and  thus  encouraged 
he  will  open  his  to  you.  Then  you  will  both 
have  an  opportunity  to  judge  each  other  with 
80 


SWEETER  WHEN  TAMED? 

reference  to  a  life-long  union.  It  is  the  only 
way ;  and  remember  what  rests  on  you  in  this 
matter.  The  destinies  of  many  women  are 
involved. 

I  don't  say  this  in  a  spirit  of  levity,  but  I 
do  wish  Polk  Hayes  and  Jane  Mathers  were 
out  on  the  front  steps  in  the  moonlight, 
after  a  good  supper  that  has  made  him  com 
fortable,  Jane  to  be  attired  in  something 
soft  that  would  float  against  his  arm, 
whether  she  wanted  it  to  or  not!  I  believe 
it  would  be  good  for  Jane,  and  make  things 
easier  for  me.  Be  frank  with  Polk  as  to 
how  much  he  asphyxiates  me  ?  I  know  bet 
ter  than  to  blow  out  the  gas  like  that !  No, 
Jane! 

But  what  is  a  woman  going  to  do  when 
she  is  young  and  hearty  and  husky,  with  the 
blood  running  through  her  veins  at  a  two- 
forty  rate,  when  her  orchard  is  in  bloom,  the 
mocking-birds  are  singing  the  night  through, 
and  she  is  not  really  in  love  with  anybody? 
81 


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The  loneliness  does  fill  her  heart  full  of  the 
solution  of  love,  and  she  has  got  to  pour  off 
some  of  it  into  somebody's  life.  There  is 
plenty  of  me  to  be  both  abstract  and  con 
crete,  at  the  same  time,  and  I  thought  of 
Uncle  Peter. 

Uncle  Peter  is  the  most  explosive  and 
crusty  person  that  ever  happened  in  Glen- 
dale,  and  it  takes  all  of  Aunt  Augusta's  en 
ergy,  common-sense  and  force  of  character 
to  keep  him  and  the  two  chips  he  carries  on 
his  shoulders,  as  a  defiance  to  the  world  in 
general,  from  being  in  a  constant  state  of 
combustion.  He  has  been  ostensibly  the 
Mayor  of  Glendale  for  twenty-five  years, 
and  Aunt  Augusta  has  done  the  work  of  the 
office  very  well  indeed,  while  he  has  blown 
up  things  in  general  with  great  energy.  He 
could  n't  draw  a  long  breath  without  her, 
but  of  course  he  does  n't  realize  it.  He 
thinks  he  is  in  a  constant  feud  with  her  and 
her  sex.  His  ideas  on  the  woman  question 
are  so  terrific  that  I  have  always  run  from 
82 


SWEETER  WHEN  TAMED? 

them,  but  I  concluded  that  it  would  be  a 
good  thing  for  me  to  liquefy  some  of  my 
vague  humanitarianism,  and  help  Aunt 
Augusta  with  him,  while  she  wrestles  with 
the  City  Council  on  the  water  question. 
Anyway,  I  have  always  had  a  guarded  fond 
ness  for  the  old  chap. 

I  chose  a  time  when  I  knew  Aunt  Augusta 
had  to  be  busy  with  his  report  of  the  disas 
trous  concrete  paving  trade  the  whole  town 
had  been  sold  out  on,  and  I  lay  in  wait  to 
capture  him  and  the  chips.  This  morning 
I  waited  behind  the  old  purple  lilac  at  the 
gate,  which  immediately  got  into  the  game 
by  sweeping  its  purple-plumed  arms  all 
around  me,  so  that  not  a  tag  of  my  dimity 
alarmed  him  as  he  came  slowly  down  the 
street. 

"  Uncle  Peter,"  I  said,  as  I  stepped  out  in 
front  of  him  suddenly,  "  please,  Uncle 
Peter,  won't  you  come  in  and  talk  to  me  ?  " 

"Hey?     Evelina?" 

"Yes,  Uncle  Peter,  it's  Evelina,"  and 
83 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

I  hesitated  with  terror  at  the  snap  in  his 
dear  old  eyes,  back  under  their  white  brows. 
Then  I  let  my  eyes  uncover  my  heart  full 
of  the  elixir  I  had  prepared  for  him,  and 
offered  him  as  much  as  he  could  drink. 

"  I  'm  lonely,"  I  said,  with  a  little  catch 
in  my  voice. 

"Lonely  —  hey?"  he  grumbled,  but  his 
feet  hesitated  opposite  my  gate. 

In  about  two  and  a  half  minutes  I  had 
him  seated  in  a  cushioned  rocker  on  the 
south  side  of  the  porch,  Jasper  had  given  us 
both  a  mint  julep,  and  Uncle  Peter  was 
much  less  thirsty  than  he  had  been  for  a 
long  time.  Aunt  Augusta  is  as  temperate 
in  all  things  as  a  steel  ramrod. 

"  You  see,  Uncle  Peter,  I  needed  you  so 
that  I  just  had  to  kidnap  you,"  I  said  to 
him,  as  he  wiped  his  lips  with  a  pocket- 
handkerchief,  as  stiffly  starched  as  was  his 
wife  herself. 

"  Why  did  n't  you  go  over  and  live  in 
James's  hennery  —  live  with  James  — 
84 


SWEETER  WHEN  TAMED? 

hey?"  he  snapped,  with  the  precision  of  a 
pistol  cap. 

To  be  just,  I  suppose  Aunt  Augusta's 
adamant  disposition  accounts,  to  some  ex 
tent,  for  Uncle  Peter's  explosive  way  of 
thinking  and  speaking.  A  husband  would 
have  to  knock  Aunt  Augusta's  nature  down 
to  make  any  impression  whatever  on  it. 
Uncle  Peter  always  has  the  air  of  firing  an 
idea  and  then  ducking  his  head  to  avoid  the 
return  shot. 

"  His  house  is  so  full,  and  I  need  a  lot  of 
space  to  carry  on  my  work,"  I  answered 
him,  with  the  words  I  have  used  so  often  in 
the  last  two  weeks  that  they  start  to  come 
when  the  Petunia  asks  me  if  I  want  waf 
fles  or  batter-cakes  for  supper. 

"Well,  Sallie  Carruthers  will  get  him, 
and  then  there  '11  be  a  dozen  more  to  run* 
the  measure  over  —  children  —  hey  ?  All 
girls!  A  woman  like  Sallie  would  not  be 
content  with  producing  less  than  a  dozen  of 
her  kind  —  hey  ?  " 

85 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

Hjs  chuckle  was  so  contagious  that  I 
•could  n't  help  but  join  him,  though  I  did  n't 
like  it  so  very  much.  But  why  should  n't  I  ? 
Sallie  is  such  a  gorgeous  woman  that  a 
dozen  of  her  in  the  next  generation  will  be 
of  value  to  the  State.  Still,  I  did  n't  like  it. 
I  did  n't  enjoy  thinking  of  Cousin  James  as 
so  serving  his  country. 

"  Carruthers  left  her  to  James  —  he'll 
have  to  take  care  of  her.  Henry  turned 
toes  in  good  time.  Piled  rotten  old  business 
and  big  family  on  to  James's  shoulders,  and 
then  died  —  good  time  —  hey?  Get  a 
woman  on  your  hands,  only  thing  to  do  is 
to  marry  or  kill  her.  Poor  James  —  hey?  " 
He  peered  at  me  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eyes 
that  demanded  assent  from  me. 

"Why,  Uncle  Peter,  I  don't  know  that 
Sallie  has  any  such  idea.  She  grieves  dread 
fully  over  Mr.  Carruthers,  and  I  don't  be 
lieve  she  would  think  of  marrying  again,"  I 
answered,  trying  to  put  enough  warmth  in 
my  defense  to  convince  myself. 
86 


SWEETER  WHEN  TAMED? 

"  Most  women  are  nothing  but  gourd- 
vines,  grow  all  over  a  corn-stalk,  kill  it,  pro 
duce  gourds  until  it  frosts,  and  begin  all  over 
again  in  the  next  generation.  James  has  to 
do  the  hoeing  around  Sallie's  roots,  and  feed 
her.  Might  as  well  marry  her  —  hey?  " 

"  Does  —  does  Cousin  James  have  to  sup 
port  Sallie  and  the  children,  Uncle  Peter?  "  I 
asked,  coming  with  reluctance  down  to  the 
rock-bed  of  the  discussion. 

"  Thinks  he  does,  and  it  serves  him  right 
—  serves  him  right  for  starting  out  to  run 
a  widow-ranch  in  the  first  place ;  it 's  like 
making  a  collection  of  old  shoes.  He  let 
Henry  Carruthers  persuade  him  to  mortgage 
everything  and  buy  land  on  the  river  for  the 
car-shops  of  the  new  railroad,  which  just 
fooled  the  town  out  of  a  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  and  is  going  by  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river  with  the  shops  up  at  Bolivar.  If 
James  did  n't  get  all  the  lawing  in  Alton 
County  they  would  all  starve  to  death  — 
which  would  be  hard  on  the  constitution  of 
87 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

old  lady  Hargrove,  and  her  two  hundred 
weight." 

"  Oh,  has  Cousin  James  really  lost  all  of 
his  fortune  ?  "  I  asked,  and  I  was  surprised 
at  the  amount  of  sympathetic  dismay  that 
rose  in  me  at  the  information. 

"  Everything  but  what  he  carries  around 
under  that  old  gray  hat  of  his  —  not  so  bad 
a  fortune,  at  that !  —  hey  ?  " 

I  feel  I  am  going  to  love  Uncle  Peter  for 
the  way  he  disdainfully  admires  Cousin 
James. 

"And  —  and  all  of  his  —  his  guests  are 
really  dependent  on  him  ?  "  I  asked  again,  as 
the  stupendous  fact  filtered  into  my  mind. 

"  All  the  flock,  all  the  flock,"  answered 
Uncle  Peter,  with  what  seemed,  under  the 
circumstances,  a  heartless  chuckle.  "  They 
each  one  have  little  dabs  of  property,  about 
as  big  as  a  handful  of  chicken  feed,  and  as 
they  have  each  one  given  it  all  to  James  to 
manage,  they  expect  an  income  in  return  — 
and  get  it  —  all  they  ask  for.  A  lot  of  use- 
88 


SWEETER  WHEN  TAMED? 

less  old  live  stock  —  all  but  Sallie,  and  she  's 
worse  —  worse,  hey  ?  "  '  •-•« ,  j 

I  agreed  with  his  question  —  but  I  did  n't 
say  so. 

"  Glad  your  money  is  safe  in  Public  Town 
Bonds  and  City  Securities,  Evelina.  If 
James  could,  he  might  lose  it,  and  you  'd 
have  to  move  over.  It  would  then  be  nip 
and  tuck  between  you  and  Sallie  which  got 
James  —  nip  and  tuck  —  hey?" 

"  Oh,  Uncle  Peter ! "  I  exclaimed  with 
positive  horror  that  was  flavored  with  a 
large  dash  of  indignation. 

"  Well,  yes,  a  race  between  a  widow  and 
a  girl  for  a  man  is  about  like  one  between 
a  young  duck  and  a  spring  chicken,  across 
a  mill-pond  —  girl  and  chicken  lose  —  hey? 
But  let  Sallie  have  him,  since  you  don't 
need  him.  I  've  got  to  go  home  and  listen 
to  Augusta  talk  about  my  business,  that 
she  knows  nothing  in  the  world  about,  or 
I  won't  be  ready  for  town  meeting  this 
afternoon.  Women  are  all  fools, —  hey?'* 
89 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

"Will  you  come  again,  Uncle  Peter?" 
I  asked  eagerly.  I  had  set  out  to  offer 
Uncle  Peter  a  cup  of  niecely  affection,  and 
I  had  got  a  good,  stiff  bracer  to  arouse  me 
in  return. 

"  I  will,  whenever  I  can  escape  Augusta," 
he  answered,  and  there  was  such  a  kindly 
crackle  in  his  voice  that  I  felt  that  he  had 
wanted  and  needed  what  I  had  offered  him. 
"  I  '11  drop  in  often  and  analyze  the  annals 
of  the  town  with  you.  Glad  to  have  you 
home,  child,  good  young  blood  to  stir  me 
up  —  hey?" 

And  as  I  sat  and  watched  the  Mayor  go 
saunteringly  down  the  street,  with  his 
crustiness  carried  like  a  child  on  his  shoul 
der,  which  it  delighted  him  to  have  knocked 
off,  so  that  he  could  philosophize  in  the 
restoring  of  it  to  its  position,  suddenly  a 
realization  of  the  relation  of  Glendale  to 
the  world  in  general  was  forced  upon  me 
—  and  I  quailed. 

Glendale  is  like  a  dozen  other  small 
90 


SWEETER  WHEN  TAMED? 

towns  in  the  Harpeth  Valley;  they  are  all 
drowsy  princesses  who  have  just  waked  up 
enough  to  be  wondering  what  did  it.  The 
tentative  kiss  has  not  yet  disclosed  the  pres 
ence  of  the  Prince  of  Revolution,  and  they 
are  likely  to  doze  for  another  century  or 
two.  I  think  I  had  better  go  back  into  the 
wide  world  and  let  them  sleep  on.  One 
live  member  is  likely  to  irritate  the  repose 
of  the  whole  body. 

Their  faint  stirrings  of  progress  are 
pathetic. 

They  have  an  electric  plant,  but,  as  I 
have  noted  before,  the  lights  therefrom 
show  a  strong  trace  of  their  pine-knot 
heredity,  and  go  out  on  all  important  occa 
sions,  whether  of  festivity  or  tragedy. 
Kerosene  lamps  have  to  be  kept  filled  and 
cleaned  if  a  baby  or  a  revival  or  a  lawn 
festival  is  expected. 

They  have  a  lovely,  wide  concrete  pave 
ment  in  front  of  six  of  the  stores  around 
the  public  square,  but  no  two  stretches  of 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

the  improvement  join  each  other,  and  it 
makes  a  shopping  progression  around  the 
town  somewhat  dangerous,  on  account  of 
the  sudden  change  of  grade  of  the  side 
walk,  about  every  sixty  feet.  Aunt  Au 
gusta  wanted  Uncle  Peter  to  introduce  a 
bill  in  the  City  Council  forcing  all  of  the 
property  owners  on  the  Square  to  put  down 
the  pavement  in  front  of  their  houses,  at 
small  payments  per  annum,  the  town  as 
suming  the  contract  at  six  per  cent.  Uncle 
Peter  refused,  because  he  said  that  he  felt 
a  smooth  walk  around  the  Square  would 
call  out  what  he  called  "  a  dimity  parade  " 
every  afternoon. 

They  have  a  water  system  that  is  sup 
plied  by  so  much  mud  from  the  river  that 
it  often  happens  that  the  town  has  to  go 
unwashed  for  a  week,  while  the  pipes  are 
cleaned  out.  There  is  a  wonderful  spring 
that  could  be  used,  with  a  pump  to  supply 
the  town,  Aunt  Augusta  says. 

The  City  Council  tied  up  the  town  for  a 
92 


SWEETER  WHEN  TAMED? 

hundred  thousand  dollars'  subscription  to 
the  new  railroad,  and  failed  to  tie  the  shops 
down  in  the  contract.  They  are  to  be  built 
in  Bolivar.  A  great  many  of  the  rich  men 
have  lost  a  lot  of  money  thereby,  Cousin 
James  the  most  of  all,  and  everybody  is  sit 
ting  up  in  bed  blinking. 

There  are  still  worse  things  happening 
in  the  emotional  realm  of  Glendale. 

Lee  Greenfield  has  been  in  the  state  of 
going  to  ask  Caroline  Lellyett  to  marry  him 
for  fifteen  years,  and  has  never  done  it. 
Caroline  has  been  beautiful  all  her  life,  but 
she  is  getting  so  thin  and  faded  at  thirty 
that  she  is  a  tragedy.  Lee  goes  to  see  her 
twice  a  week,  and  on  Sunday  afternoon 
takes  her  out  in  his  new  and  rakish  run 
about,  that  is  as  modern  as  his  behavior  is 
obsolete.  Caroline  knows  no  better,  and 
stands  it  with  sublime  patience  and  lack  of 
character.  That  is  a  situation  I  won't  be 
able  to  keep  my  hands  off  of  much  longer. 

Ned  Hall's  wife  has  seven  children  with 
93 


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the  oldest  one  not  twelve,  and  she  looks 
fifty.  Ned  goes  to  all  the  dances  at  the 
Glendale  Hotel  dining-room  and  looks 
thirty.  He  dresses  beautifully  and  Nell 
and  all  the  girls  like  to  dance  with  him. 
Just  ordinary  torture  would  n't  do  for  him. 

Polk  Hayes  wouldn't  be  allowed  to  run 
loose  in  London  society. 

Sallie  Carruthers  is  a  great  big  husky 
woman,  with  three  children  that  she  is  re 
sponsible  for  having  had.  She  and  her 
family  must  consume  tons  of  green  grocer 
ies  every  month  and  a  perfectly  innocent 
man  pays  for  them. 

Mrs.  Dodd,  the  carpenter-and-contrac- 
tor's  wife  is  a  Boston  woman  who  came 
down  here —  Before  I  could  write  all 
about  that  Boston  girl  so  that  Jane  could 
understand  perfectly  the  situation  Polk 
came  around  from  the  side  street  and  seated 
himself  on  the  railing  of  the  porch  so  near 
the  arm  of  my  chair  that  I  could  n't  rock 
without  inconveniencing  him. 
94 


SWEETER  WHEN  TAMED? 

I  am  glad  he  found  me  in  the  mood  I  was 
in  and  I  am  glad  to  record  the  strong- 
minded  —  it  came  near  being  the  strong- 
armed  —  contest  in  which  we  indulged. . 

"  Me  for  a  woman  that  has  a  lot  of  spirit 
—  she  is  so  much  sweeter  when  tamed, 
Evelina,"  was  one  of  the  gentle  remarks 
with  which  he  precipitated  the  riot.  "  I 
think  it  has  been  spunkily  fascinating  of 
you  to  come  and  live  by  yourself  in  this 
old  barn.  It  keeps  me  awake  nights  just 
to  think  of  you  over  here  —  alone.  How 
long  is  the  torture  to  go  on  ?  " 

Jane,  I  tried,  but  if  I  had  frankly  and 
courageously  shown  Polk  Hayes  what  was 
in  my  heart  for  him  at  that  moment,  I 
could  n't  have  answered  for  the  results. 

From  the  time  I  was  eighteen  until  I  was 
twenty  the  same  sort  of  assault  and  battery 
had  been  handed  out  to  me  from  him.  He 
had  beaten  me  with  his  love.  He  did  n't 
want  me  —  he  does  n't  want  any  woman  ex 
cept  so  long  as  he  is  uncertain  that  he  can 
95 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

get  her.  Just  because  I  had  been  firm  with 
him  when  even  a  child  and  denied  him,  he 
has  been  merciless.  And  now  that  I  am  a 
woman  and  armed  for  the  combat,  it  will  be 
to  the  death. 

Shall  I  double  and  take  refuge  in  a  laby 
rinth  of  subterfuge  or  turn  and  fight?  So 
I  temporized  to-day. 

"  It  is  lonely  —  but  not  quite  '  torture  '  to 
me,  with  the  family  so  close,  across  the 
street,"  I  answered  him,  and  I  went  on 
whipping  the  lace  on  a  piece  of  fluff  I  am 
making,  to  discipline  myself  because  I 
loathe  a  needle  so.  "  Please  don't  you 
worry  over  me,  dear."  I  raised  my  eyes  to 
his  and  I  tried  the  common  citizenship  look. 
It  must  have  carried  a  little  way  for  he 
flushed,  the  first  time  I  ever  saw  him  do  it, 
and  his  hand  with  the  cigarette  in  it  shook. 

"  Evelina,  are  you  real  or  a  —  farce  ?  " 
he  asked,  after  a  few  minutes  of  peace. 

"I'm  trying  to  be  real,  Polk,"  I  an 
swered,  and  this  time  I  raised  my  eyes  with 
96 


SWEETER  WHEN  TAMED? 

perfect  frankness.  "If  you  could  define  a 
real  woman,  Polk,  in  what  terms  would  you 
express  her?"  I  asked  him  straight  out 
from  the  shoulder. 

"  Hell  fire  and  a  hallelujah  chorus,  if 
she  's  beautiful,"  he  answered  me  promptly. 

I  laughed.  I  thought  it  was  best  under 
the  circumstances. 

"  I  '11  tell  you,  Evelina,"  he  continued, 
stealthily.  "  A  man  just  can't  generalize 
the  creatures.  Apparently  they  are  craving 
nothing  so  much  as  emotional  excitement 
and  when  you  offer  it  to  them  they  want 
to  go  to  housekeeping  with  it.  Love  is  a 
business  with  them  and  not  an  art." 

"  Would  you  like  to  try  a  genuine  friend 
ship  with  one,  Polk  ?  "  I  asked,  and  again 
struck  from  the  shoulder  —  with  my  eyes. 

"Help!  Not  if  you  mean  yourself, 
beautiful,"  he  answered  promptly  and  with 
fervor.  "  I  would  n't  trust  myself  with 
you  one  minute  off-guard  like  that." 

"  You  could  safely." 
97 


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"But  I  won't!" 

"Will  you  try?" 

"No!" 

"  Will  you  go  over  and  sit  in  that  chair 
while  I  tell  you  something  calmly,  quietly, 
and  seriously?  It  '11  give  you  a  new  sensa 
tion  and  maybe  it  will  be  good  for  you." 
I  looked  him  straight  in  the  face  and  the 
battle  of  our  eyes  was  something  terrific. 
I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  have  it  out  with 
him  then  and  there.  There  was  nothing 
else  to  do.  I  would  be  frank  and  coura 
geous  and  true  to  my  vow  —  and  accept 
the  consequences. 

He  slid  along  the  railing  of  the  porch 
and  down  into  the  chair  in  almost  a  daze 
of  bewilderment. 

"  Polk,"  I  began,  concealing  a  gulp  of 
terror,  "  I  love  you  more  than  I  can  possi 
bly—" 

"  Say,  Polk,  I  let  the  Pup  git  hung  by 
her  apron  to  the  wheel  of  your  car  out  in 
the  road  and  her  head  is  dangersome  kinder 
98 


s? 


SWEETER  WHEN  TAMED? 

upside   down.     It   might   run   away.     Can 
you  come  and  git  her  loose  for  me  ?  " 

Henrietta's  calmness  under  dire  circum 
stances  was  a  lesson  to  both  Polk  and  me, 
for  with  two  gasps  that  sounded  as  one  we 
both  raced  across  the  porch,  down  the  path 
and  out  to  the  road  where  Folk's  Hupp 
runabout  stood  by  the  worn  old  stone  post 
that  had  tethered  the  horses  of  the  wooers 
of  many  generations  of  the  maids  of  my 
house. 

But,  prompt  as  our  response  to  Henriet 
ta's  demand  for  rescue  had  been,  Cousin 
James  was  there  before  us.  He  stood  in 
the  middle  of  the  dusty  road  with  the 
tousled  mite  in  his  arms,  soothing  her 
frightened  sobs  against  his  cheek  with  the 
dearest  tenderness  and  patting  Sallie  on  the 
back  with  the  same  comforting. 

"  Oh,  Henrietta,  how  could  you  nearly 
kill  your  little  sister  like  this  ? "  Sallie 
sobbed.  "  Please  say  something  positive  to 
her,  James ! " 

99 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

"  Henrietta,"  began  Cousin  James  with 
a  suspicion  of  embarrassment  at  Folk's 
and  my  presence  at  the  domestic  scene. 
Polk  choked  a  chuckle  and  I  could  have 
murdered  him. 

"  Wait  a  minute,"  said  Henrietta,  in  her 
most  commanding  voice.  "  Sallie,  did  n't 
you  ask  me  to  take  that  Pup  from  Aunt 
Dilsie,  'cause  of  the  phthisic,  and  keep  her 
quiet  while  the  Kit  got  a  nap,  and  did  n't  I 
ask  you  if  it  would  be  all  right  if  I  got  her 
back  whole  and  clean?" 

"  Yes,  Henrietta,  but  you  — " 

"  Ain't  she  whole  all  over  and  clean  ?  " 

"Yes,  but—" 

"  Could  n't  nobody  do  any  better  than 
that  with  one  of  them  twins.  I  won't  try. 
If  I  have  to  'muse  her  it  has  to  be  in  my 
own  way."  And  with  her  head  in  the  air 
the  Bunch  marched  up  the  walk  to  the 
house. 

At  this  Polk  shouted  and  the  rest  of  us 
laughed. 

100 


SWEETER  WHEN  TAMED? 

"  Polk,  please  don't  encourage  Henrietta 
in  the  way  she  treats  me  and  her  little  sis 
ters,"  Sallie  begged  between  her  laughs  and 
her  half -swallowed  sobs.  "  I  need  my 
friends'  help  with  my  children,  not  to  have 
them  make  it  hard  for  me.  Henrietta  is 
devoted  to  you  and  you  could  influence  her 
so  for  the  best.  Please  try  to  help  me  make 
a  real  woman  out  of  her  and  not  some  sort 
of  a  terrible  —  terrible  suffragette." 

Sallie  is  the  most  perfectly  lovely  woman 
I  almost  ever  saw.  She  has  great  violet 
eyes  with  black  lashes  that  beg  you  for  a 
piece  of  your  heart,  and  her  mouth  is  as 
sweet  as  a  blush  rose  with  cheeks  that  al 
most  match  it  in  rosiness.  She  and  the  ba 
bies  always  remind  me  of  a  cluster  rose  and 
roses,  flower  and  buds,  and  I  don't  see  why 
every  man  that  sees  her  is  not  mad  about 
her.  They  all  used  to  be  before  she  mar 
ried,  and  I  suppose  they  will  be  again  as 
soon  as  the  crepe  gets  entirely  worn  off  her 
clothes.  As  she  stood  with  the  bubbly 
101 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

baby  in  her  arms  and  looked  up  at  Polk  I 
could  n't  see  how  he  could  take  it  calmly. 

"  Sallie,"  he  answered  seriously,  with  a 
glint  in  his  eyes  over  at  me,  "  if  you  '11 
give  me  a  few  days  longer,  I  will  then  have 
found  out  by  experience  what  a  real  woman 
is  and  I  '11  begin  on  Henrietta  for  you  ac 
cordingly/' 

"  Don't  be  too  hard  on  the  kiddie," 
Cousin  James  answered  him  with  the  crin 
kle  in  the  corner  of  his  eyes  that  might  have 
been  called  shrewd  in  eyes  less  beautifully 
calm.  "  Let 's  trust  a  lot  to  Henrietta's 
powers  of  observation  of  her  mother  and 
—  her  neighbors."  He  smiled  suddenly, 
with  his  whole  face,  over  both  Sallie  and 
me,  and  went  on  down  the  street  in  a  way 
that  made  me  sure  he  was  forgetting  all 
about  all  of  us  before  he  reached  the  cor 
ner  of  the  street. 

"  Is  n't  that  old  mossback  a  treat  for  the 
sight  of  gods  and  men?"  asked  Polk  with 
a  laugh  as  we  all  stood  watching  the  old 
102 


SWEETER  WHEN  TAMED? 

gray  coat-tails  flapping  in  the  warm  breeze 
that  was  rollicking  across  the  valley. 

"  I  don't  know  what  I  would  do  without 
him,"  said  Sallie  softly,  with  tears  suddenly 
misting  the  violets  in  her  eyes  as  she 
turned  away  from  us  with  the  baby  in  her 
arms  and  went  slowly  up  the  front  walk  of 
Widegables. 

"  Please  come  stay  with  me  a  little  while, 
Evelina,"  she  pleaded  back  over  her  shoul 
der.  "  I  feel  faint." 

I  hesitated,  for,  as  we  were  on  my  side 
of  the  Road,  Polk  was  still  my  guest. 

"  Go  on  with  Sallie,  sweetie,"  he  an 
swered  my  hesitating.  "  I  don't  want  the 
snapped-off  fraction  of  a  declaration  like 
you  were  about  to  offer  me.  I  can  bide 
my  time  —  and  get  my  own."  With  which 
he  turned  and  got  into  his  car  as  I  went 
across  the  street. 

Jane,  I  feel  encouraged.  I  have  done 
well  to-day  to  get  half  way  through  my  dec 
laration  of  independence  —  though  he 
103 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

does  n't  think  that  is  what  it  is  going  to  be 
—  to  Polk.  If  I  can  just  tell  him  how 
much  I  love  him,  before  he  makes  love  to 
me  we  can  get  on  such  a  sensible  footing 
with  each  other.  I  '11  command  the  situa 
tion  then. 

But  suppose  I  do  get  Polk  calmed  down 
to  a  nice  friendship  after  old  Plato's  recipe, 
what  if  I  want  to  marry  him? 

Do  I  want  to  marry  a  friend? 

Yes,  I  do! 

No  —  no ! 


104 


CHAPTER  V 

DEEPER   THAN    SHOULDERS   AND   RIBS 

THERE  are  many  fundamental  differ 
ences  between  men  and  women 
which  strike  deeper  than  breadth  of  shoul 
ders  and  number  of  ribs  on  the  right  side. 

Men  deliberately  unearth  matters  of  im 
portance  and  women  stumble  on  the  same 
things  in  the  dark.  It  is  then  a  question 
of  the  individual  as  to  the  complications 
that  result.  One  thing  can  be  always 
counted  on.  A  woman  likes  to  tangle  life 
into  a  large  mass  and  then  straighten  out 
the  threads  at  her  leisure  —  and  the  man's 
leisure  too. 

Glendale  affairs  interest  me  more  every 
day. 

This  has  been  a  remarkable  afternoon 
105 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

and  I  wish  Jane  had  been  in  Glendale  to 
witness  it. 

"  Say,  Evelina,  all  the  folks  over  at  our 
house  have  gone  crazy,  and  I  wish  you 
would  come  over  and  help  Cousin  James 
with  'em,"  Henrietta  demanded,  as  I  sat 
on  my  side  porch,  calmly  hemming  a  ruf 
fle  on  a  dress  for  the  Kitten.  Everybody 
sews  for  the  twins  and,  as  much  as  I  hate 
it,  I  can't  help  doing  it. 

"  Why,  Henrietta,  what  is  the  matter  ?  " 
I  demanded,  as  I  hurried  down  the  front 
walk  and  across  the  road  at  her  bare  little 
heels.  By  the  time  I  got  to  the  front  gate 
I  could  hear  sounds  of  lamentation. 

"  A  railroad  train  wants  to  run  right 
through  the  middle  of  all  their  dead  peo 
ple  and  Sallie  started  the  crying.  Dead  's 
dead,  and  if  Cousin  James  wants  'em  run 
over,  I  wants  'em  run  over  too."  She  an 
swered  over  her  shoulder  as  we  hurried 
through  the  wide  front  hall. 

And  a  scene  that  beggars  description  met 
106 


my  eyes,  as  I  stood  in  the  living-room  door. 
I  hope  this  account  I  am  going  to  try  and 
write  will  get  petrified  by  some  kind  of  new 
element  they  will  suddenly  discover  some 
day  and  the  manuscript  be  dug  up  from  the 
ruins  of  Glendale  to  interest  the  natives  of 
the  Argon  age  about  2800  A.  D. 

Sallie  sat  in  the  large  armchair  in  the 
middle  of  the  room  weeping  in  the  slow, 
regular  way  a  woman  has  of  starting  out 
with  tears,  when  she  means  to  let  them  flow 
for  hours,  maybe  days,  and  there  were  just 
five  echoes  to  her  grief,  all  done  in  different 
keys  and  characters. 

Cousin  Martha  knelt  beside  the  chair  and 
held  Sallie's  head  on  her  ample  bosom,  but 
I  must  say  that  the  expression  on  her  face 
was  one  of  bewilderment,  as  well  as  of 
grief. 

The  three  little  Horton  cousins  sat  close 

together  in  the  middle  of  the  old  hair-cloth 

sofa  by  the  window  and  were  weeping  as 

modestly  and  helplessly  as  they  did  every- 

107 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

thing  else  in  life,  while  Mrs.  Hargrove,  in 
her  chair  under  her  son's  portrait,  was  just 
plainly  out  and  out  howling. 

And  on  the  hearth-rug,  before  the  tiny 
fire  of  oak  chips  that  the  old  ladies  liked 
to  keep  burning  all  summer,  stood  the 
master  of  the  house  and,  for  once  in  my  life, 
I  have  seen  the  personification  of  masculine 
helplessness.  He  was  a  tragedy  and  I  flew 
straight  to  him  with  arms  wide  open,  which 
clasped  both  his  shoulders  as  I  gave  him  a 
good  shake  to  arouse  him  from  his  para- 
lyzation. 

"  What 's  the  matter?  "  I  demanded,  with 
the  second  shake. 

"  I  'm  a  brute,  Evelina,"  he  answered,  and 
a  sudden  discouragement  lined  every  fea 
ture  of  his  beautiful  biblical  face.  I 
could  n't  stand  that  and  I  hugged  him  tight 
to  my  breast  for  an  instant  and  then  ad 
ministered  another  earthquake  shake. 

"  Tell  me  exactly  what  has  happened," 
I  demanded,  looking  straight  into  his  tragic 
108 


DEEPER  THAN  SHOULDERS 

eyes  and  letting  my  hands  slip  from  his 
shoulders  down  his  arms  until  they  held 
both  of  his  hands  tight  and  warm  in 
mine. 

Jane,  I  was  glad  that  I  had  offered  the 
cup  of  my  eyes  to  him  full  of  this  curious 
inter-sex  elixir  of  life  that  you  have  in 
duced  me  to  seek  so  blindly,  for  he  re 
sponded  to  the  dose  immediately  and  the 
color  came  back  into  his  face  as  he  an 
swered  me  just  as  sensibly  as  he  would 
another  man. 

"  The  men  who  are  surveying  the  new 
railroad  from  Cincinnati  to  the  Gulf  have 
laid  their  experimental  lines  across  the 
corner  of  Greenwood  Cemetery  and  they 
say  it  will  have  to  run  that  way  or  go  across 
the  river  and  parallel  the  lines  of  the  other 
road.  If  they  come  on  this  side  of  the 
river  they  will  force  the  other  road  to  come 
across,  too,  and  in  that  case  we  will  get  the 
shops.  It  just  happens  that  such  a  line  will 
make  necessary  the  removal  of  —  of  poor 
109 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

Henry's  remains  to  another  lot.  Sallie's  is 
the  only  lot  in  the  cemetery  that  is  that 
high  on  the  bluff.  Henry  did  n't  like  the 
situation  when  he  bought  it  himself,  and  I 
thought  that,  as  there  is  another  lot  right 
next  to  her  mother's  for  sale,  she  would 
not  —  but,  of  course,  I  was  brutal  to  men 
tion  it  to  her.  I  hope  you  will  find  it  in 
your  heart  to  forgive  me,  Sallie."  And  as 
he  spoke  he  extracted  himself  from  me  and 
walked  over  and  laid  his  hand  on  Sallie's 
head. 

"  It  was  such  a  shock  to  her  —  poor 
Henry,"  sobbed  little  Cousin  Jasmine,  and 
the  other  two  little  sisters  sniffed  in  chorus. 

"  To  have  railroad  trains  running  by 
Greenwood  at  all  will  be  disturbing  to  the 
peace  of  the  dead,"  snorted  Mrs.  Hargrove. 
"  We  need  no  railroad  in  Glendale.  We 
have  never  had  one,  and  that  is  my  last 
word  —  no !  " 

"  Four  miles  to  the  railroad  station  across 
the  river  is  just  a  pleasant  drive  in  good 
no 


DEEPER  THAN  SHOULDERS 

weather,"  said  Cousin  Martha,  plaintively, 
as  she  cuddled  Sallie's  sobs  more  comforta 
bly  down  on  her  shoulder. 

"  I  feel  that  Henry  would  doubt  my 
faithfulness  to  his  memory,  if  I  consented 
to  such  a  desecration,"  came  in  smothered 
tones  from  the  pillowing  shoulder. 

And  not  one  of  all  those  six  women  had 
stopped  to  think  for  one  minute  that  the 
minor  fact  of  the  disturbing  of  the  ashes 
of  Henry  Carruthers  would  be  followed  by 
the  major  one  of  the  restoration  of  the 
widow's  fortune  and  the  lifting  of  a  huge 
financial  burden  off  the  strong  shoulders 
they  were  all  separately  and  collectively 
leaning  upon. 

I  exploded,  but  I  am  glad  I  drew  the 
Crag  out  on  the  porch  and  did  it  to  him 
alone. 

"  Evelina,  you  are  refreshing  if  strenu 
ous,"  he  laughed,  after  I  had  spent  five 
minutes  in  stating  my  opinions  of  women 
in  general  and  a  few  in  particular.  "  But 
in 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

I  ought  not  to  have  hurt  Sallie  by  telling 
her  about  the  lines  until  they  are  a  cer 
tainty.  It  is  so  far  only  a  possibility. 
They  may  go  across  the  river  anyway." 

"And  as  for  seeing  Sallie  swaddled  in 
your  consideration,  and  fed  yourself  as  a 
sacrifice  from  a  spoon,  I  am  tired  of  it,"  I 
flamed  up  again.  "  It 's  not  good  for  her. 
Feed  and  clothe  her  and  her  progeny, —  men 
in  general  have  brought  just  such  burdens 
as  that  upon  you  in  particular  by  their  at 
titude  towards  us, —  but  do  let  her  begin  to 
exert  just  a  small  area  of  her  brain  on  the 
subject  of  the  survival  of  the  fit  to  live. 
You  don't  swaddle  or  feed  me ! " 

"  Eve,"  he  said,  softly  under  his  breath 
as  his  wonderful  gentle  eyes  sank  down  way 
below  the  indignation  and  explosiveness  to 
the  quiet  pool  that  lies  at  the  very  bottom  of 
my  heart. 

Nobody  ever  found  it  before  and  I  did  n't 
know  it  was  there  myself,  but  I  felt  as  if 
it  were  being  drained  up  into  Heaven. 
112 


DEEPER  THAN  SHOULDERS 

"  Eve !  "  He  said  again,  and  it  is  a  won 
der  that  I  did  n't  answer : 

"Adam!" 

I  don't  know  just  what  would  have  hap 
pened  if  Uncle  Peter  had  n't  broken  in  on 
the  interview  with  his  crustiest  chips  on 
both  shoulders  and  so  much  excitement  bot 
tled  up  that  he  had  to  let  it  fly  like  a  double 
reporter. 

"  Dodson  is  down  at  the  Hotel  looking 
for  you,  James,"  he  began  as  he  hurried  up 
the  steps.  "  Big  scheme  this  —  got  him  in  a 
corner  if  the  C.  &  G.  comes  along  this  side 
of  Old  Harpeth  —  make  him  squeal  — 
hey?" 

"Who's  Dodson?"  I  asked  with  the 
greatest  excitement.  I  was  for  the  first 
time  getting  a  whiff  of  the  schemes  of  the 
masculine  mighty,  but  I  was  squelched 
promptly  by  Uncle  Peter. 

"  We  've  no  time  for  questions,  Evelina, 
now  —  go  back  to  your  tatting  —  hey?" 
He  answered  me  as  he  began  to  button- 
US 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

hole  the  Crag  and  lead  him  down  the 
staps. 

"  Dodson  is  the  man  who  is  laying  down 
and  contracting  for  the  line  across  the 
river,  Evelina,"  answered  Cousin  James 
without  taking  any  notice  whatever  of  Uncle 
Peter's  squelching  of  me.  "If  this  other 
line  can  just  be  secured  he  will  have  to  come 
to  our  terms  —  and  the  situation  will  be 
saved."  As  he  spoke  he  took  my  hand  in 
his  and  led  me  at  his  side,  down  the  front 
walk  to  the  gate,  talking  as  he  went,  for 
Uncle  Peter  was  chuckling  on  ahead  like  a 
steam  tug  in  a  hurry. 

"  And  the  shades  of  Henry  will  again 
assume  the  maintenance  of  his  family,"  I 
hazarded  with  lack  of  respect  of  the  dead, 
impudence  to  Cousin  James  about  his  own 
affairs,  and  unkindness  by  implication  to 
Sallie,  who  loves  me  better  than  almost  any 
body  in  the  world  does.  And  I  got  my 
just  punishment  by  seeing  a  lovely  look  of 
tender  concern  rise  in  Cousin  James's  eyes 
114 


as  he  stopped  short  in  the  middle  of  the 
walk. 

"  I  want  to  go  back  a  minute  to  speak  to 
Sallie  before  I  go  on  down  town,"  he  said, 
quickly,  and  before  Uncle  Peter's  remon 
strances  had  exploded,  he  had  taken  the 
steps  two  at  a  bound  and  disappeared  in  the 
front  door. 

"  Sooner  he  marries  that  lazy  lollypop  the 
better,"  fumed  Uncle  Peter,  as  he  waited 
at  the  gate.  "  The  way  for  a  man  to 
quench  his  thirst  for  woman-sweets  is  to 
marry  a  pot  of  honey  like  that,  and  then 
come  right  on  back  to  the  bread  and  butter 
game.  Here  's  a  letter  Jasper  gave  me  to 
bring  along  for  you  from  town.  Go  on 
and  read  it  and  do  not  disturb  the  workings 
of  my  brain  while  I  wait  for  James  — 
workings  of  a  great  brain  —  hey?  " 

I  took  the  letter  and  hurried  across  the 
street  because  I  wanted  anyway  to  get  to 
some  place  by  myself  and  think.  There 
was  no  earthly  reason  for  it  but  I  felt  like 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

an  animal  that  has  been  hurt  and  wants  to 
go  off  and  lick  its  wounds.  A  womanly 
woman  that  lives  a  lovely  appealing  life 
right  in  a  man's  own  home  has  a  perfect 
right  to  gain  his  love,  especially  if  she  is 
beautifully  unconscious  of  her  appeal.  Be 
sides,  why  should  a  man  want  to  take  an  in 
dependent,  explosive,  impudent  firebrand 
with  all  sorts  of  dreadful  plots  in  her  mind 
to  his  heart  ?  He  would  n't  and  does  n't ! 

There  is  no  better  sedative  for  a  woman's 
disturbed  and  wounded  emotions  than  a 
little  stiff  brain  work.  Richard's  letter 
braced  my  viny  drooping  of  mind  at  once 
and  from  thinking  into  the  Crag's  affairs  of 
sentiment,  I  turned  with  masculine  vigor  to 
begin  to  mix  into  his  affairs  of  finance.. 
However,  I  wish  that  the  first  big  business 
letter  I  ever  got  in  my  life  had  n't  had  to 
have  a  strain  of  love  interest  running 
through  it!  Still  Dickie  is  a  trump  card 
in  the  man  pack. 

It  seems  that  as  his  father  is  one  of  the 
116 


DEEPER  THAN  SHOULDERS 

most  influential  directors  and  largest  stock 
holders  in  this  new  branch  of  the  Cincin 
nati  and  Gulf  railroad  he  has  got  the  com 
mission  for  making  the  plans  for  all  the  sta 
tions  along  the  road,  and  he  wants  to  give  me 
the  commission  for  drawing  all  the  gardens 
for  all  the  station-yards.  It  will  be  tre 
mendous  for  both  of  us  so  young  in  life, 
and  I  never  dared  hope  for  such  a  thing. 
I  had  only  hoped  to  get  a  few  private 
gardens  of  some  of  my  friends  to  laze  and 
pose  over,  but  this  is  startling.  My  mind 
is  beginning  to  work  on  in  terms  of  hedges 
and  fountains  already  and  Dickie  may  be 
coming  South  any  minute. 

And  besides  the  hedges  and  gravel  paths 
I  have  a  feeling  that  Dickie's  father  and 
the  Crag  and  Sallie's  girl-babies  are  foment 
ing  around  in  my  mind  getting  ready  to  pop 
the  cork  of  an  idea  soon.  The  combina 
tion  feels  like  some  kind  of  a  hunch  —  I  sat 
still  for  a  long  time  and  let  it  seethe,  while 
I  took  stock  of  the  situation. 
117 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

There  is  a  strange,  mysterious  kind  of 
peace  that  begins  to  creep  across  the  Har- 
peth  Valley,  just  as  soon  as  the  sun  sinks 
low  enough  to  throw  the  red  glow  over  the 
head  of  Old  Harpeth.  I  suppose  it  happens 
in  other  hill-rimmed  valleys  in  other  parts 
of  the  Universe,  but  it  does  seem  as  if  God 
himself  is  looking  down  to  brood  over  us, 
and  that  the  valley  is  the  hollow  of  His 
hand  into  which  he  is  gathering  us  to  rest 
in  the  darkness  of  His  night.  I  felt  buf 
feted  and  in  need  of  Him  as  I  sank  down 
tinder  the  rose-vine  over  the  porch  and 
looked  out  across  my  garden  to  the  blue 
and  rose  hills  beyond. 

I  have  been  in  Glendale  a  whole  month 
now,  and  I  can't  see  that  my  influence  has 
revolutionized  the  town  as  yet.  I  don't 
seem  to  be  of  half  the  importance  that  I 
thought  I  was  going  to  be.  I  have  tried, 
and  I  have  offered  that  bucket  of  love  that 
I  thought  up  to  everybody,  but  whether  they 
have  drunk  of  it  to  profit  I  am  sure  I  can't 
118 


DEEPER  THAN  SHOULDERS 

say.  In  fact,  my  loneliness  has  liquefied 
my  gaseous  affection  into  what  almost  looks 
like  officiousness. 

Still,  I  know  Uncle  Peter  is  happier  than 
he  ever  was  before,  because  he  has  got  me 
to  come  to  as  a  refuge  from  Aunt  Augusta, 
a  confidante  for  his  views  of  life  that  he  is 
not  allowed  to  express  at  home,  and  also 
the  certainty  of  one  of  Jasper's  juleps. 

Sallie  has  grown  so  dependent  on  me  that 
my  shoulders  are  assuming  a  masculine 
squareness  to  support  her  weight.  I  am 
understudying  Cousin  James  to  such  an  ex 
tent  oArer  at  Widegables  that  I  feel  like  the 
heir  to  his  house.  Cousin  Martha  sends 
for  me  when  the  chimney  smokes  and  the 
cows  get  sick.  I  have  twice  changed  five 
dollars  for  little  Cousin  Jasmine,  and 
sternly  told  the  man  from  out  on  their  farm 
on  Providence  Road  that  he  must  not  root 
up  the  lavender  bushes  to  plant  turnip- 
greens  in  their  places.  I  afterwards  rented 
the  patch  from  him  to  grow  the  lavender 
119 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

because  he  said  he  could  n't  lose  the  price 
that  the  greens  would  bring  him  "  for 
crotchets." 

Mrs.  Hargrove  has  given  me  her  will  to 
keep  for  her,  and  the  sealed  instructions 
for  her  burial.  I  hope  when  the  time  comes 
the  two  behests  will  strike  a  balance,  but 
I  doubt  it. 

Her  ideas  of  a  proper  funeral  seem  to 
coincide  with  those  of  Queen  Victoria, 
whom  she  has  admired  through  life  and 
mourns  sincerely. 

Henrietta  has  not  been  heard  to  indulge 
in  profane  language  since  I  had  a  long  talk 
with  her  last  week  out  in  the  garden,  that 
ended  in  stubby. tears  and  the  gift  of  a  very 
lovely  locket  which  I  impressed  upon  her 
was  as  chaste  in  design  as  I  wished  her 
speech  to  become. 

The  twins  have  been  provided  with  sev 
eral  very  lovely  pieces  of  wearing  apparel 
from  my  rapidly  skill-acquiring  needle. 
That 's  on  the  credit  side  of  my  balance. 
120 


DEEPER  THAN  SHOULDERS 

But  that  is  all  —  and  it  does  n't  sound  revo 
lutionary,  does  it,  Jane? 

Petunia  married  Jasper  according  to  his 
word  of  promise,  and  I  have  taught  her  to 
cook  about  five  French  dishes  that  he 
could  n't  concoct  to  save  his  life,  and  which 
help  her  to  keep  him  in  his  place.  His 
pomposity  grows  daily  but  he  eyes  me  with 
suspicion  when  he  sees  me  in  secret  con 
clave  with  Petunia. 

"  We  needs  a  man  around  this  place,"  I 
heard  him  mutter  the  other  day  as  I  left 
the  kitchen. 

I  wonder ! 

The  garden  has  been  weeded,  replanted, 
trained,  clipped  and  garnished,  and  my  arms 
are  as  husky  and  strong  as  a  boy's  and  my 
nose  badly  sunburned  from  my  strenuosity; 
with  hoe  and  trimming  scissors. 

All  of  which  I  have  done  and  done  well. 

But  when  I  think  of  all  those  five  girls  that 

are  waiting  for  me  to  solve  the  emotional 

formula  by  which  they  can  work  out  and 

121 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

establish  the  fact  that  man  equals  woman, 
I  get  weak  in  the  knees. 

Jane's  letters  are  just  prods. 

Your  highly  cultivated  artistic  nature  ought 
to  be  a  very  beautiful  revelation  to  the  spirit 
ual  character  of  the  young  Methodist  divine 
you  wrote  me  of  in  your  last  letter.  Encour 
age  him  in  every  way  with  affectionate  interest 
in  his  work,  especially  in  the  Epworth  League 
on  his  country  circuit.  I  am  enclosing  fifty 
dollars'  subscription  to  the  work  and  I  hope 
you  will  give  as  much  You  have  not  men 
tioned  Mr.  Hayes  for  several  letters.  I  fear 
you  are  prejudiced  against  him.  Seek  to 
know  and  weigh  his  character  before  you 
judge  him  as  unfit  for  your  love. 

The  highly  spiritual  Mr.  Haley  glared  at 
Polk  for  an  hour  out  here  on  my  porch, 
when  he  interrupted  us  in  one  of  our  Ep 
worth  League  talks,  in  such  an  unspiritual 
manner  that  Polk  said  he  felt  as  if  he  had 
been  introduced  to  the  Apostle  Paul  while  he 
was  still  Saul  of  Tarsus.  I  had  to  pet  the 
122 


DEEPER  THAN  SHOULDERS 

Dominie  decorously  for  a  week  before  he  re 
gained  his  benign  manner.  Of  course,, 
however,  it  was  trying  to  even  a  highly 
spiritual  nature  like  his  to  have  Polk  insist 
on  pinning  a  rose  in  my  hair  right  before 
his  eyes. 

About  Polk  I  feel  that  I  am  in  the  midst 
of  one  of  those  great  calm,  oily  stretches 
of  ocean  that  a  ship  is  rocked  gently  in  for 
a  few  hours  before  the  storm  tosses  it  first 
to  Heaven  and  then  to  hell.  He  is  so  psy 
chic,  and  in  a  way  attuned  to  me,  that  he 
partly  understands  my  purpose  in  declaring 
my  love  for  him  to  put  him  at  a  disadvan 
tage  in  his  love-making  to  me,  and  he  has  n't 
let  me  do  it  yet,  while  his  tacit  suit  goes  on. 
It  is  a  drawn  battle  between  us  and  is  going 
to  be  fought  to  the  death.  In  the  mean 
time  Nell  — 

And  while  I   was  on  the  porch   sitting 
with  Richard  Hall's  letter  in  my  hand,  still 
unread,  Nell  herself  came  down  the  front 
walk  and  sat  down  beside  me. 
123 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

"  Why,  I  thought  you  had  gone  fishing 
with  Polk,"  I  said  as  I  cuddled  her  up  to 
me  a  second.  She  laid  her  head  on  my 
shoulder  and  heaved  such  a  sigh  that  it 
shook  us  both. 

"  I  did  n't  quite  like  to  go  with  him  alone 
and  Henrietta  would  n't  go  because  a  bee 
had  stung  the  red-headed  twin,  and  she 
wanted  to  stay  to  scold  Sallie,"  she  an 
swered  with  both  hesitation  and  depression 
in  her  voice. 

"  Polk  is  —  is  strenuous  for  a  whole  day's 
companionship,"  I  answered,  experimen 
tally,  for  I  saw  the  time  had  come  to  ex 
ercise  some  of  the  biceps  in  Nell's  femininity 
in  preparation  for  just  what  I  knew  she  was 
to  get  from  Polk.  My  heart  ached  for 
what  I  knew  she  was  suffering.  I  had  had 
exactly  those  growing  pains  for  months  fol 
lowing  that  experience  with  him  on  the 
front  porch  after  the  dance  four  years  ago. 
And  I  had  had  change  of  scene  and  occupa 
tion  to  help. 

124 


DEEPER  THAN  SHOULDERS 

"  I  don't  understand  him  at  all,"  faltered 
Nell,  and  she  raised  her  eyes  as  she  bared 
her  wound  to  me. 

"  Nell,"  I  said  with  trepidation,  as  I  be 
gan  on  this  my  first  disciple,  "  you  are  n't 
a  bit  ashamed  or  embarrassed  or  humiliated 
in  showing  me  that  you  love  me,  are  you?  " 

"  You  know  I  've  adored  you  ever  since 
I  could  toddle  at  your  heels,  Evelina,"  she 
answered,  and  the  love-message  her  great 
brown  eyes  flashed  into  mine  was  as  sweet 
as  anything  that  ever  happened  to  me. 

"  Then,  why  should  you  wonder  and  suf 
fer  and  restrain  and  be  humiliated  at  your 
love  for  Polk?"  I  asked,  firing  point  blank 
at  all  of  Nell's  traditions.  "  Why  not  tell 
him  about  it  and  ask  him  if  he  loves  you?  " 

The  shot  landed  with  such  force  that  Nell 
gasped,  but  answered  as  straight  out  from 
the  shoulder  as  I  had  aimed. 

"  I    would    rather   die   than   have    Polk 
Hayes  know  how  he  —  he  affects  me,"  she 
answered  with  her  head  held  high. 
125 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

"  Then,  what  you  feel  for  him  is  not 
worthy  love,  but  something  entirely  un 
worthy,"  I  answered  loftily,  with  a  very 
poor  imitation  of  Jane's  impressiveness  of 
speech. 

"  I  know  it,"  she  faltered  into  my 
shoulder,  "  if  it  were  Mr.  James  Hardin  I 
loved,  I  would  n't  mind  anybody's  knowing 
it,  but  something  must  be  wrong  with  Polk 
or  me  or  the  way  I  feel.  What  is  it  ?  " 

For  a  moment  I  got  so  stiff  all  over  that 
Nell  raised  her  head  from  my  shoulder  in 
surprise.  Do  all  women  feel  about  the 
Crag  as  I  do? 

"  I  don't  know,"  I  answered  weakly. 

And  I  don't  know !  Oh,  Jane,  your  sim 
ple  experiment  proposition  is  about  to  be 
come  compound  quadratics. 

Then  I  got  a  still  further  surprise. 

"  I  would  n't  in  the  least  mind  telling  Mr. 

James  how  I  like  him  —  if  you  think  it  is 

all    right,"    Nell   mused,    looking   pensively 

at  the  first  pale  star  that  was  rising  over 

126 


DEEPER  THAN  SHOULDERS 

Old  Harpeth.  "  I  would  enjoy  it,  because 
I  have  always  adored  him,  and  it  would  be 
so  interesting  to  see  what  he  'd  say." 

"  Nell,"  I  said  suddenly  with  determina 
tion,  "  do  it !  Tell  any  man  you  like  how 
much  you  like  him  —  and  see  what  hap 
pens." 

"I  feel  as  if  — as  if"— Nell  faltered 
and  I  don't  blame  her ;  I  would  n't  have  said 
as  much  to  her  —  "I  feel  that  to  tell  Mr. 
James  I  love  him  would  ease  the  pain,  the 
—  pain  —  that  I  feel  about  Polk.  It  would 
be  so  interesting  to  tell  a  man  a  thing  like 
that" 

"  Do  it !  "  I  gasped,  and  went  foot  in 
the  class  in  romantics. 

If  any  jungle  explorer  thinks  he  has 
mapped  and  charted  a  woman's  heart  he 
had  better  pack  up  his  instruments  of  war 
fare  and  recorders  and  come  down  to  Glen- 
dale,  Tennessee. 

Nell  and  I  must  have  talked  further  along 
the  same  lines,  but  I  don't  remember  what 
127 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

we  said.  I  have  recorded  the  high  lights 
on  the  conversation,  but  long  after  I  lost 
her  I  kept  my  whirlwind  feeling  of  amaze 
ment.  It  was  like  trying  to  balance  calmly 
on  the  lid  of  the  tinder-box  when  you  did  n't 
know  whether  or  not  you  had  touched  off  the 
fuse. 

Has  honeysuckle-garbed  Old  Harpeth 
been  seeing  things  like  this  go  on  for  cen 
turies  and  not  interrupted  ?  I  think  I  would 
have  been  sitting  there  questioning  him  un 
til  now,  if  Lee  and  Caroline  had  n't  stopped 
at  the  gate  and  called  to  me. 

I  think  Lee  was  giving  Caroline  this 
stroll  home  from  the  post-office  in  the  twi 
light  as  an  extra  treat  in  her  week's  allow 
ance  of  him,  and  she  was  so  soft  and  glow 
ing  and  sweet  and  pale  that  I  wonder  the 
Cherokee  roses  on  my  hedge  did  n't  droop 
their  heads  with  humility  before  her. 

"  What 's  a  lovely  lady  doing  sitting  all 
by  herself  in  the  gloaming?"  Lee  asked  in 
his  rich,  warm  voice. 

128 


DEEPER  THAN  SHOULDERS 

I  hate  him! 

"  Come  take  a  walk  with  us,  Evelina, 
dear,"  Caroline  begged  softly,  though  I  knew 
what  it  would  mean  to  her  if  I  should  intrude 
on  this  precious  hour  with  her  near-lover. 

Please,  God  —  if  I  seem  to  be  calling  You 
into  a  profane  situation  I  can't  help  it; 
I  must  have  help !  —  show  me  some  way  to 
assist  Caroline  to  make  Lee  into  a  real  man 
and  then  get  him  for  herself.  She  must 
have  him  and  he  needs  her.  And  show  me 
a  way  quick!  Amen! 

Jane,  I  hope  you  will  be  able  to  pick  the 
data  out  of  this  jumble,  but  I  doubt  it. 
Anyway  I  'm  grateful  for  the  lock  and  key 
on  this  book. 

As  I  stood  at  the  gate  and  watched  Lee 
and  Caroline  saunter  down  the  moon- 
flecked  street  a  mocking  bird  in  the  tallest 
of  the  oak  twins  that  are  my  roof  shelter 
called  wooingly  from  one  of  the  top  boughs 
and  got  his  answer  from  about  the  same 
place  on  the  same  limb. 
129 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

If  a  woman  starts  out  to  be  a  trained 
nurse  to  an  epidemic  of  love-making,  she  is 
in  great  danger  of  doing  something  foolish 
her  own  self.  I  am  even  glad  it  is  prayer- 
meeting  night  for  Mr.  Haley;  he  is  safe  in 
performing  his  rituals.  He  might  misun 
derstand  this  mood. 

I  wonder  if  I  ever  was  really  over  in 
sunny  France  being  wooed  and  happy! 

Of  course,  I  decided  the  first  night  I  was 
here  that,  as  circumstances  over  which  I 
had  no  control  had  decreed  that  Cousin 
James  should  stand  in  the  position  of  en 
forced  protector  to  me,  decent,  communistic 
femino-masculine  honor  demands  that  I  re 
frain  from  any  manceuvers  in  his  direction 
to  attract  his  thoughts  and  attention  to  the 
feminine  me.  I  can  only  meet  him  on  the 
ordinary  grounds  of  fellowship.  And  I 
suppose  the  glad-to-see  him  coming  up  the 
street  was  of  the  neuter  gender,  but  it  was 
very  interesting. 

"  What  did  Dodson  have  to  say  —  is  he 
130 


DEEPER  THAN  SHOULDERS 

coming  across?  "  I  demanded  of  him  before 
he  got  quite  to  my  gate. 

"  Not  if  he  can  help  it,"  he  answered  as 
he  came  close  and  leaned  against  one  of  the 
tall  stone  posts,  so  that  his  grandly  shaped 
head  with  its  ante-bellum  squirls  of  hair  was 
silhouetted  against  the  white-starred  wis 
taria  vine  in  a  way  that  made  me  frantic  for 
several  buckets  of  monochrome  water-colors 
and  a  couple  of  brushes  as  big  as  those  used 
for  white-washing.  In  about  ten  great 
splotches  I  could  have  done  a  masterpiece 
of  him  that  would  have  drawn  artistic  fits 
from  the  public  of  gay  Paris.  I  never  see 
him  that  I  don't  long  for  a  box  of  pastels 
or  get  the  ghost  of  the  odor  of  oil-paint  in 
my  nose. 

"  The  whole  thing  will  be  settled  in  a 
month,"  he  continued,  with  a  sigh  that  had 
a  hint  of  depression  in  it  and  an  astral  shape 
of  Sallie  manifested  itself  hanging  on  his 
shoulder.  However,  I  controlled  myself 
and  listened  to  him.  "  There  is  to  be  a 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

meeting  of  the  directors  of  both  roads  over 
in  Bolivar  in  a  few  weeks  and  they  are  to 
come  to  some  understanding.  The  line 
across  the  river  is  unquestionably  the  cheap 
est  and  best  grade  and  there  is  no  chance 
of  getting  them  to  run  along  our  bluff — • 
unless  we  can  show  them  some  advantage 
in  doing  so,  and  I  can't  see  what  that  will 
be." 

"  What  makes  it  of  advantage  for  a  rail 
road  to  run  through  any  given  point  in  a 
rural  community  like  this,  Cousin  James  ?  " 
I  asked,  with  a  glow  of  intellect  mounting 
to  my  head,  the  like  of  which  I  had  n't  felt 
since  I  delivered  my  Junior  thesis  in  Polit 
ical  Economy  with  Jane  looking  on,  con 
sumed  with  pride. 

"  Towns  that  have  good  stock  or  grain 
districts  around  them  with  good  roads  for 
hauling  do  what  is  called  '  feeding '  a  rail 
road,"  he  answered.  "Bolivar  can  feed 
both  roads  with  the  whole  of  the  Harpeth 
Valley  on  that  side  of  the  river.  They  '11 
132 


DEEPER  THAN  SHOULDERS 

get  the  roads,  I  'm  thinking.  Poor  old 
Glendale!" 

"  Is  n't  there  anything  to  feed  the  mon 
sters  this  side  of  the  river?"  I  demanded, 
indignant  at  the  barrenness  of  the  south 
side  of  the  valley  of  Old  Harpeth. 

"  Very  little  unless  it 's  the  scenery  along 
the  bluff,"  he  replied,  with  the  depression 
sounding  still  more  clearly  in  his  voice  and 
his  shoulders  drooped  against  the  unsympa 
thetic  old  stone  post  in  a  way  that  sent  a 
pang  to  my  heart. 

"  Jamie,  is  all  you  've  got  tied  up  in  the 
venture  ? "  I  asked  softly,  using  the  name 
that  a  very  small  I  had  given  him  in  a  long 
ago  when  the  world  was  young  and  not 
full  of  problems. 

"  That 's  not  the  worst,  Evelina,"  he  an 
swered  in  a  voice  that  was  positively  hag 
gard.  "  But  what  belongs  to  the  rest  of 
the  family  is  all  in  the  same  leaky  craft. 
Carruthers  put  Sallie's  in  himself,  but  I  in 
vested  the  mites  belonging  to  the  others. 
133 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

Of  course,  as  far  as  the  old  folks  are  con 
cerned,  I  can  more  than  take  care  of  them, 
and  if  anything  happens  there 's  enough 
life  insurance  and  to  spare  for  them.  I 
don't  feel  exactly  responsible  for  Sallie's 
situation,  but  I  do  feel  the  responsibility  of 
their  helplessness.  Sallie  is  not  fitted  to 
cope  with  the  world  and  she  ought  to  be 
well  provided  for.  I  feel  that  more  and 
more  every  day.  Her  helplessness  is  very 
beautiful  and  tender,  but  in  a  way  tragic, 
don't  you  think  ?  " 

I  wish  I  had  dared  tell  him  for  the  second 
time  that  day  what  I  did  think  on  the  sub 
ject  but  I  denied  myself  such  frankness. 

Anyway,  men  are  just  stupid,  faith 
ful  children  —  some  of  them  faithful,  I 
mean. 

I  felt  that  if  I  stood  there  talking  with 
the  Crag  any  longer,  I  might  grow  peda 
gogical  and  teach  him  a  few  things  so  I 
sent  him  home  across  the  road.  I  knew  all 
six  women  would  stay  awake  until  they 
134 


DEEPER  THAN  SHOULDERS 

heard  him  lock  them  in,  come  down  to  the 
lodge  and  lock  his  own  door. 

It  is  very  unworthy  of  me  to  enjoy  his 
playing  a  watch-dog  of  tradition  across  the 
road  to  an  emancipated  woman  like  my 
self.  The  situation  both  keeps  me  awake 
and  puts  me  to  sleep  —  and  it  is  sweet, 
though  I  don't  know  why. 

God  never  made  anything  more  wonder 
ful  than  a  good  man, —  even  a  stupid  one. 
Lights  outl 


135 


CHAPTER  VI 

MAN    AND   THE    ASAFETIDA    SPOON 

I  DO  wish  the  great  man  who  is  discover 
ing  how  to  put  people  into  some  sort  of 
metaphysical  pickle  that  will  suspend  their 
animations  until  he  gets  ready  to  wake  them 
up,  would  hurry  up  with  his  investigations, 
so  he  can  catch  Sallie  before  she  begins  to 
fade  or  wilt  Sallie,  just  as  she  is,  brought 
to  life  about  five  generations  from  now, 
would  cause  a  sensation. 

Some  women  are  so  feminine  that  they 
are  sticky,  unless  well  spiced  with  deviltry. 
Sallie's  loveliness  hasn't  much  seasoning. 
Still,  I  do  love  her  dearly,  and  I  am  just 
as  much  her  slave  as  are  any  of  the  others. 
I  can't  get  out  of  it 

"  Do  you  suppose  we  will  ever  get  all  of 
the  clothes  done  for  the  twins  ? "  Nell 
136 


sighed  gently  as  we  sat  on  my  porch  whip 
ping  yards  of  lace  upon  white  ruffles  and 
whipping  up  our  own  spirits  at  the  same 
time.  Everybody  in  Glendale  sews  for 
Sallie's  children  and  it  takes  her  all  her  time 
to  think  up  the  clothes. 

"  Never,"  I  answered. 

"  She  's  coming,  and  I  do  believe  she  has 
got  more  of  this  ruffling.  I  see  it  floating 
down  her  skirt,"  Nell  fairly  groaned. 

Nell  ought  to  like  to  sew.  She  is  n't 
emancipated  enough  to  hate  a  needle  as  I 
do.  But  the  leaven  is  working  and  she  's 
rising  slowly.  It  might  be  well  for  some 
man  to  work  the  dough  down  a  little  before 
she  runs  over  the  pan.  That 's  a  primi 
tively  feminine  wish  and  not  at  all  in  ac 
cordance  with  my  own  advanced  ideas. 

I  was  becoming  slightly  snarled  with  my 
thread,  and  I  was  glad  when  Sallie  and  her 
sweetness  seated  itself  in  the  best  rocker 
in  the  softest  breeze,  which  Nell  had  vacated 
for  her. 

137 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

"  Children  are  the  greatest  happiness  in 
life  and  also  the  greatest  responsibility, 
girls,"  she  said,  in  her  lovely  rich  voice  that 
always  melts  me  to  a  solution  of  sympathy 
whenever  she  uses  it  pensively  on  me.  "  Of 
course,  I  should  be  desolate  without  mine, 
but  what  could  I  do  with  them,  if  I  didn't 
have  all  of  you  dear  people  to  help  me  with 
them?" 

Her  wistful  dependence  had  charm. 

I  looked  at  the  twin  with  the  yellow  fuzz 
on  the  top  of  its  head  that  has  hall-marked 
it  as  the  Kitten  in  my  mind,  seated  on  Sal- 
lie's  lap  with  her  head  on  Sallie's  shoulder 
looking  like  a  baby  bud  folded  against  the 
full  rose,  and  I  could  n't  help  laughing. 
Kit  had  been  undressed  three  times  after 
her  bath  this  morning  while  Cousin  Martha, 
Cousin  Jasmine  and  Mrs.  Hargrove  argued 
with  each  other  whether  she  should  or 
should  n't  have  a  scrap  of  flannel  put  on 
over  her  fat  little  stomach.  Henrietta 
finally  decided  the  matter  by  being  impu- 
138 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

dent  and  sensible  to  them  all  about  the 
temperature. 

"  Don't  you  all  'spose  God  made  the  sun 
some  to  heat  up  Kit's  stomach  ?  "  she  de 
manded  scornfully,  as  she  grabbed  the  little 
roly-poly  bone  of  contention  and  marched 
off  with  her  to  finish  dressing  her  on  the 
front  porch  in  the  direct  rays  of  her  insti 
tuted  heater. 

The  household  at  large  at  Widegables  can 
never  agree  on  the  clothing  of  the  twins  and 
Henrietta  often  has  to  finish  their  toilets 
thus,  by  force.  Aunt  Dilsie  being  reduced 
by  her  phthisic  to  a  position  that  is  almost 
entirely  ornamental,  Henrietta's  strength 
of  character  is  the  only  tking  that  has  made 
the  existence  of  the  twins  bearable  to  them 
selves  or  other  people. 

As  I  have  said  before,  I  do  wish  that 
some  day  in  the  future  you  will  come  un 
der  the  direct  rays  of  Henrietta's  influence, 
Jane,  dear! 

"  Yes,  Sallie,  I  should  call  them  a  re- 
139 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

sponsibility,"  I  answered  her  with  a  laugh, 
as  I  reached  up  my  arms  for  the  Kitten. 
Then,  as  the  little  yellow  head  snuggled  in 
the  hollow  that  was  instituted  in  the  begin 
ning  between  a  woman's  breast  and  arm  for 
the  purpose  of  just  such  nestlings,  I  whis 
pered  as  I  laid  my  lips  against  her  little  ear, 
"  and  a  happiness,  too,  darling." 

And  as  Sallie  rocked  and  recuperated 
her  breath  Nell  eyed  the  ruffle  apprehen 
sively. 

"  Are  you  going  to  let  us  make  another 
dress  for  the  kiddie^  Sallie,  dear?"  she 
finally  was  forced  by  her  uneasiness  to  ask, 
though  with  the  deepest  sweetness  and  con 
sideration  in  her  voice. 

If  I  am  ever  a  widow  with  young  children 
I  hope  they  will  burn  us  all  up  with  the  de 
ceased  rather  than  keep  me  wrapped  in  a 
cotton-wool  of  sympathy,  as  all  of  us  do 
Sallie. 

"  It 's  lovely  of  you,  Nell,  to  want  to  do 
more  for  the  babies  after  all  the  beautiful 
140 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

things  you  and  Evelina  have  made  them, 
and  I  may  be  able  to  get  another  white 
dress  apiece  for  them  after  I  give  Cousin 
James  the  bills,  that  are  awful  already, 
but  this  is  some  ruffling  that  I  just  forced 
Mamie  Hall  to  let  me  bring  up  to  you  girls 
to  do  for  her  baby.  The  poor  little  dear 
is  two  months  old  and  Mamie  is  just  be 
ginning  on  his  little  dress  for  him.  He  has 
been  wearing  the  plainest  little  slips. 
Mamie  says  Ned  remarked  on  the  fact  that 
the  baby  was  hardly  presentable  when  you 
girls  stopped  in  wif'  ^im  to  see  it  the  other 
day,  Nell.  I  urg.  *  her  to  get  right  to  work 
fixing  him  up.  It  is  wrong  for  children  not 
to  be  kept  as  daintily  as  their  father  likes  to 
see  them." 

How  any  woman  that  is  as  spiritually- 
minded  as  I  am,  and  who  has  so  much  love 
for  the  whole  world  in  her  heart,  and  such 
a  deep  purpose  always  to  offer  it  to  her  fel- 
lowmen  according  to  their  need  of  it,  can 
have  the  vile  temper  I  possess  I  cannot  see. 
141 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

"  And  the  sight  that  would  please  me  bet 
ter  than  anything  else  I  have  even  thought 
up  to  want  to  see,"  I  found  myself  saying 
when  I  became  conscious  —  I  hdpe  I  did  n't 
use  any  of  the  oaths  of  my  forefathers 
which  must  have  been  tempting  my  refined 
foremothers  for  generations  and  which  I 
secretly  admire  Henrietta  for  indulging  in 
on  occasions  of  impatience  with  Sallie  — 
"  would  be  Ned  Hall  left  entirely  alone  with 
that  squirming  baby,  that  looks  exactly  like 
him,  when  it  is  having  a  terrible  spell  of 
colic  and  Ned  is  in  the  midst  of  a  sick  head 
ache,  with  all  the  other  children  cold,  hun 
gry,  and  cross,  the  cook  gone  to  a  funeral, 
and  the  nurse  in  a  grouch  because  she 
could  n't  go  and  —  and  he  knowing  that 
Mamie  was  attired  in  a  lovely,  cool  muslin 
dress,  sitting  up  here  on  the  porch  with  us 
sipping  a  mint  julep  and  smoking  a  ten- 
cent  cigar,  resting  and  getting  up  an  appe 
tite  for  supper.  I  want  him  to  have  about 
five  years  of  such  days  and  then  he  would 
142 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

deserve  the  joys  of  parenthood  that  he  now 
does  not  appreciate." 

/'Oh,  Mamie  wouldn't  smoke  a  cigar!" 
was  the  exclamation  that  showed  how  much 
Sallie  got  of  the  motif  of  my  eruption. 

"  Glorious !  "  exclaimed  Nell,  with  shin 
ing  eyes. 

I  must  be  careful  about  Nell,  she  is  going 
this  new  gait  too  fast  for  one  so  young. 
Women  must  learn  to  fletcherize  freedom  if 
it  is  not  to  give  them  indigestion  of  purpose. 

"  Still  Ned  provides  everything  in  the 
world  he  can  think  of  to  help  Mamie,"  said 
Caroline,  who  had  come  up  the  walk  just 
in  time  to  fan  the  flame  in  me  by  her  sweet 
wistfulness,  with  a  soft  judiciousness  in  her 
voice  and  eyes.  "  And  Mamie  adores  the 
children  and  him." 

If  one  man  is  unattainable  to  a  woman  all 
the  other  creatures  take  on  the  hue  of  being 
valuable  from  the  reflection.  Caroline  is 
pathetic ! 

"  It  would  be  robbing  a  woman  of  a  priv- 
143 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

ilege  not  to  let  her  trot  the  colic  out  of  her 
own  baby,"  Sallie  got  near  enough  in  sight 
of  the  discussion  to  shout  softly  from  the 
rear. 

I  have  often  seen  Cousin  Martha  on  one 
side  of  the  fire  trotting  the  Pup,  and  Cousin 
Jasmine  on  the  other  ministrating  likewise 
to  the  Kit,  so  Sallie  could  take  a  good  nap, 
which  she  did  n't  at  all  need,  on  the  long 
sofa  in  the  living-room  at  Widegables. 

"  Ned  is  a  delightful  man  and,  of  course, 
Mamie  adores  him,"  Nell  agreed  with  an 
attitude  of  mind  like  to  the  attitude  of  a 
body  sustained  on  the  top  rail  of  a  shaky 
fence. 

"  He  doubtless  would  be  just  as  delight 
ful  to  Mamie  standing  by  dropping  asa- 
fetida  into  a  spoon  to  administer  to  the 
baby,  as  he  is  dancing  with  you  at  the  As 
sembly,  Nell,"  I  said,  still  frothy  around  the 
temper. 

"  He  '11    never    do    it    again,"    was    the 

prompt  result  I  got  from  my  shot. 
144 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

"  The  trouble  with  you,  Evelina,"  said 
Sallie,  with  ruminative  reflectiveness  in  her 
eyes,  "  is  that  you  have  never  been  married 
and  do  not  understand  how  noble  a  man  can 
be  under  — " 

"  Yes,  I  should  say  that  you  had  hit 
Evelina's  trouble  exactly  on  the  head,  Sal- 
lie,"  came  in  Folk's  drawl  as  he  came  over 
the  rose  hedge  from  the  side  street  and 
seated  himself  beside  Caroline  on  the  steps. 

"  Well,  if  I  ever  have  a  husband  he  '11 
prove  his  nobility  by  being  competent  to 
make  the  correct  connection  between  the 
asafetida  spoon  and  his  own  baby,"  was  the 
answer  that  came  with  so  much  force  that 
I  could  n't  stop  it  after  I  fully  realized 
Folk's  presence  and  sex. 

"  Help !  "  exclaimed  Polk,  weakly,  while 
Nell  blushed  into  the  fold  of  her  ruffle. 
Caroline  looked  slightly  shocked  and  Sallie 
wholly  scandalized  at  my  lack  of  delicacy. 

I  felt  that  the  place  had  been  reached, 
the  audience  provided,  and  the  time  ripe 
145 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

for  the  first  gun  in  my  general  revolution 
planned  for  Glendale.  I  spoke  calmly  in  a 
perfect  panic  of  fear. 

"  I  am  glad  Polk  is  here  to  speak  for  the 
masculine  side  of  the  question,"  I  said,  look 
ing  all  the  three  astonished  women  straight 
in  the  face.  "  Polk,  do  you  or  do  you  not 
think  that  a  man  with  a  wife  and  seven 
children  ought  to  assume  at  least  some  of 
the  domestic  strain  resulting  therefrom,  like 
dropping  the  asafetida  in  the  spoon  for  her 
while  she  is  wrestling  with  the  youngest- 
horn's  colic  ?  " 

"Do  I  have  to  answer?"  pleaded  Polk, 
with  desperation. 

"Yes!" 

"  Then,  under  the  circumstances  I  think 
the  man  ought  to  say :  '  To  hell  with  the 
spoon,'  grab  a  gun,  go  out  and  shoot  up  a 
bear  and  a  couple  of  wild  turkeys  for  break 
fast,  throttle  some  coin  out  of  some  nearby 
business  corporation,  send  two  to  five 
trained  nurses  back  to  the  wigwam,  stay 
146 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

down  town  to  lunch  and  then  go  home  with 
a  tender  little  kiss  for  the  madame  who 
meets  him  fluffy  and  smiling  at  the  door. 
That 's  my  idea  of  true  connubial  bliss. 
Applications  considered  in  the  order  of 
their  reception.  Nell,  you  are  sweet  enough 
to  eat  in  that  blue  muslin.  I  'm  glad  I 
asked  you  to  get  one  just  that  shade ! " 

And  the  inane  chorus  of  pleased  laughs 
that  followed  Polk  Hayes's  brainless  dis 
posal  of  the  important  question  in  hand 
made  me  ashamed  of  being  a  woman  — 
though  it  was  funny.  Still  I  bided  my 
time  and  Polk  saw  the  biding,  I  could  tell 
by  the  expression  in  the  corners  of  his  eyes 
that  he  kept  turned  away  from  me. 

And  in  less  than  a  half-hour  he  was  left 
to  my  mercies,  anything  but  tender.  Sallie 
took  Nell  and  Caroline  over  home  to  help 
her  decide  how  wide  a  band  of  white  it 
would  be  decorous  for  her  to  sew  in  the 
neck  of  her  new  black  meteor  crepe.  I  see 
it  coming  that  we  will  all  have  to  unite  in 
147 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

getting  Sallie  out  of  mourning  and  into  the 
trappings  of  frivolity  soon  and  I  dread  it. 
It  takes  so  many  opinions  on  any  given  sub 
ject  to  satisfy  Sallie  that  she  ought  to  keep 
a  tabulated  advice-book. 

"  Evelina,"  said  Polk,  experimentally, 
after  he  had  seen  them  safely  across  the 
street,  and  he  moved  along  the  steps  until 
he  sat  against  my  skirts,  "  are  your  family 
subject  to  colic?  " 

"  No,  they  have  strong  brains  instead," 
I  answered  icily. 

"  Said'  brains  subject  to  colic,  though," 
he  mused  in  an  impudent  undertone. 

I  laughed :  I  could  n't  help  it.  One  of 
the  dangerous  things  about  Polk  is  that  he 
gets  you  comfortable  and  warm  of  heart 
whenever  he  gets  near  you.  It  would  n't 
matter  at  all  to  him  if  you  should  freeze 
later  for  lack  of  his  warmth,  just  so  he 
does  n't  know  about  it. 

"  Polk,"  I  began  to  say  in  a  lovely  serious 
tone  of  voice,  looking  him  square  in  the 
148 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

eyes  and  determined  that  as  we  were  now 
on  the  subject  of  basic  things,  like  infantile 
colic,  I  would  have  it  out  with  him  along 
all  lines,  "  there  is  an  awful  shock  coming 
to  you  when  you  realize  that  — " 

"  That  in  the  heat  of  this  erudite  and 
revolutionary  discussion,  which  an  evil  fate 
led  me  to  drop  in  on,  I  have  forgotten  to 
give  you  this  telegram  that  came  for  you 
while  I  was  down  at  the  station  shipping 
some  lumber.  Be  as  easy  as  you  can  with 
me,  Evelina,  and  remember  that  I  am  your 
childhood's  companion  when  you  decide  be 
tween  us."  With  which  he  handed  me  a 
blue  telegram. 

I  opened  it  hastily  and  found  that  it  was 
from  Richard : 

Am  coming  down  to  Bolivar  with  C.  &  G. 
Commission.  Be  deciding  about  what  I  wrote 
you.  Must. 

RICHARD. 

I  sat  perfectly  still   for  several   seconds 
149 


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because  I  felt  that  a  good  strong  hand  had 
reached  out  of  the  distance  and  gently 
grabbed  me.  Dickie  had  bossed  me  strenu 
ously  through  two  years  of  the  time  before 
I  had  awakened  to  the  fact  that,  for  his 
good,  I  must  take  the  direction  of  the  affairs 
of  him  and  his  kind  on  my  and  my  kind's 
shoulders. 

I  suppose  a  great  many  years  of  emanci 
pation  will  have  to  pass  over  the  heads  of 
women  before  they  lose  the  gourd  kind  of 
feeling  at  the  sight  of  a  particularly  broad, 
strong  pair  of  shoulders.  My  heart  spar 
kled  at  the  idea  of  seeing  Dickie  again  and 
being  browbeaten  in  a  good  old,  methodical, 
tender  way.  I  suppose  the  sparkle  in  my 
heart  showed  in  my  eyes,  for  Polk  sat  up 
quickly  and  took  notice  of  it  very  de 
cidedly. 

"  Wire  especially  impassioned  ?  "  he  asked, 
with  a  smolder  in  his  eyes. 

"  Not  especially,"  I  answered  serenely. 
"  One  of  my  friend's  father  is  a  director  in 
150 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

the  C.  &  G.  and  he  is  coming  down  with  him 
for  the  conference  over  at  Bolivar  between 
the  two  roads  next  week." 

"  Good,"  answered  Polk,  heartily,  as  the 
flare  died  out  of  his  eyes. 

I  was  glad  he  did  n't  have  to  see  the  wire 
for  I  wanted  to  use  Folk's  brain  a  while  if 
I  could  get  his  emotions  to  sleep  in  my  pres 
ence.  It  is  very  exasperating  for  a  woman 
to  be  offered  flirtation  when  she  is  in  need 
of  common  sense  from  a  man.  There  are 
so  many  times  she  needs  the  one  rather 
than  the  other,  but  the  dear  creatures  refuse 
to  realize  it,  if  she  's  under  forty. 

"  Polk,  do  you  see  any  logical,  honest  or 
dishonest  way  to  get  that  Road  to  take  the 
Glendale  bluff  line?"  I  asked,  with  trepida 
tion,  for  that  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever 
even  begun  to  discuss  anything  intelligently 
with  Polk. 

"  None  in  the  world,  Evelina,"  he  an 
swered  with  a  nice,  straight,  intellectuality 
showing  over  his  whole  face  and  even  his 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

lazy,  posing  figure.  "  I  remonstrated  with 
James  and  Henry  Carruthers  both  when 
they  used  their  influence  to  have  the  bonds 
voted  and  I  told  James  it  was  madness  to 
invest  in  all  that  field  and  swamp  property 
with  just  a  chance  of  the  shops.  The  trou 
ble  was  that  James  had  always  left  all  his 
business  to  Henry,  along  with  the  firm's 
business,  for  a  man  can't  be  the  kind  of 
lawyer  James  is,  and  carry  the  details  of  the 
handling  of  filthy  lucre  in  the  same  mind 
that  can  make  a  speech  like  the  one  he  made 
down  in  Nashville  last  April,  on  the  ex 
change  of  the  Judiciary.  James  can  be  the 
Governor  of  this  good  State  any  time  he 
wants  to,  or  could,  if  Henry  had  n't  turned 
toes  and  left  him  such  a  bag  to  hold  —  no 
reference  to  Sallie's  figure  intended,  which 
is  all  to  the  good  if  you  like  that  kind  of 
curves ! " 

I  took  a  moment  to  choose  my  words. 

"  The  C.  &  G.  is  going  to  take  that  bluff 
route,"  I  answered  calmly  from  somewhere 
152 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

inside  me  that  I  had  never  used  to  speak 
from  before. 

"  Do  you  know  anything  of  the  character 
of  Mrs.  Joshua  ?  "  asked  Polk,  admiringly, 
but  slipping  down  from  his  intellectual  atti 
tude  of  mind  and  body  and  edging  an  inch 
nearer.  "  Bet  she  had  a  strong  mind  or 
Joshua  never  could  have  pulled  off  that  sun 
and  moon  stunt." 

"  Do  you  know,  Polk,  there  is  one  woman 
in  the  world  who  could  —  could  handle 
you  ?  "  I  said,  as  a  sudden  vision  of  what 
Jane  would  do,  if  Polk  sat  on  her  skirts  as 
he  did  on  mine,  flashed  across  my  troubled 
brain. 

"  I  'd  be  mighty  particular  as  to  who 
handles  me,"  he  answered  impudently. 
"Want  to  try?"  And  with  the  greatest 
audacity  he  laid  his  head  gently  against  my 
knee.  I  let  it  rest  there  a  second  and  then 
tipped  it  back  against  the  arm  of  the  rocker. 

"  It  does  hurt  me  to  see  a  man  like  Cousin 
James  fairly  throttled  by  women  as  he  is 
153 


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being,"  I  said  as  I  looked  across  the  street 
and  noted  that  the  porch  of  Widegables  was 
full  to  overflowing  with  the  household  of 
women. 

"  Evelina,"  said  Polk,  as  he  stood  up  sud 
denly  in  front  of  me,  "  that  old  Mossback 
is  the  finest  man  in  this  commonwealth,  but 
from  his  situation  nobody  can  extract  him, 
unless  it  is  a  woman  with  the  wiliness  of 
the  devil  himself.  Poison  the  whole  bunch 
and  I  '11  back  you.  But  we  '11  have  to  plot 
it  later  on.  I  see  his  reverence  coming 
tripping  along  with  a  tract  in  his  hand  for 
you  and  I  '11  be  considerate  enough  to  sneak 
through  the  kitchen,  get  a  hot  muffin-cake 
that  has  been  tantalizing  my  nose  all  this 
time  you  have  been  sentimentalizing  over 
me,  and  return  anon  when  I  can  have  you 
all  to  myself  in  the  melting  moonlight  in 
the  small  hours  after  all  religious  folk  are 
in  bed.  Until  then ! "  And  as  he  went 
back  through  the  front  hall  Mr.  Haley  came 
down  the  front  walk. 

154 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

"  My  dear  Miss  Shelby,  how  fortunate  I 
am  to  find  you  alone,"  he  exclaimed  with 
such  genuine  delight  beaming  from  his  nice, 
good,  friendly,  gray  eyes  that  I  beamed  up 
myself  a  bit  out  of  pure  responsiveness. 

"I  am  so  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Haley. 
Has  n't  it  been  a  lovely  day  ?  "  I  answered, 
as  I  offered  him  the  large  rocker  Sallie  had 
vacated. 

"  It  has,  indeed,  and  I  don't  know  when 
I  have  been  as  deeply  happy.  This  hour 
with  you  will  be  the  very  climax  of  the 
day's  perfections,  I  feel  sure." 

I  smiled. 

To  follow  you,  Jane,  I  "  let  a  man  look 
freely  into  my  heart  and  thus  encouraged 
he  opened  his  to  mine  "  and  behold,  I  found 
Sallie  and  the  twins  and  Henrietta  all 
squatting  in  the  Dominie's  cardiac  regions, 
just  as  comfortably  as  they  do  it  at  Wide- 
gables. 

"  My  sympathies  have  become  so  enlisted 
in  the  struggle  which  Mrs.  Carruthers  is 
155 


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having  to  curb  the  eccentricities  of  her  old 
est  daughter  that  I  feel  I  must  lay  definite 
plans  to  help  her.  It  is  very  difficult  for 
a  young  and  naturally  yielding  woman  like 
Mrs.  Carruthers  to  discipline  alone  even  so 
young  a  child  as  Henrietta.  I  know  you 
will  help  me  all  you  can  to  help  her.  Be 
lieve  me,  my  dear  friend,  even  in  the  short 
time  you  have  been  in  Glendale  you  have 
become  a  tower  of  strength  to  me.  I  feel 
that  I  can  take  my  most  difficult  and  sacred 
perplexities  to  you." 

Now,  what  do  you  think  of  that,  Jane? 
Be  sure  and  rub  this  situation  in  on  all  the 
waiting  Five  disciples.  I  defy  any  of  them 
to  do  so  well  in  less  than  three  months. 
This  getting  on  a  plane  of  common  citizen 
ship  with  a  fellow-man  is  easy.  That  is, 
with  some  men. 

Still  while  you  are  getting  on  the  plane 
somebody  else  gets  the  man.  What  about 
that  ?  I  did  n't  want  Mr.  Haley,  but  what 
if  I  had? 

156 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

"  Yes,  Henrietta  is  a  handful,  Mr. 
Haley,"  I  answered  with  enthusiasm,  for 
even  the  mention  of  Henrietta  enlivens  me 
and  somehow  Mr.  Haley's  getting  in  the 
game  of  "  curbing "  her  stirred  up  my 
risibles.  "  But  —  but  Sallie  already  has  a 
good  many  people  to  help  her  with  the  chil 
dren.  I  have  been  trying  to  —  to  influence 
Henrietta  —  and  she  does  not  swear  except 
on  the  most  exasperating  occasions  now." 

11  The  dear  little  child  created  a  slight 
consternation  in  her  Sunday  School  class 
last  week  when  they  were  being  taught  the 
great  dramatic  story  of  Jonah's  three  days' 
incarceration  in  the  whale.  To  quote  her 
exactly,  so  that  you  may  see  how  it  must 
have  affected  the  other  children,  she  said: 
*  I  swallowed  a  live  fly  onct  myself  and 
I  'm  not  damn  fool  enough  to  believe  that 
whale  kept  Jonah  down  three  days,  alive 
and  kicking,  rio  matter  who  says  so.' 

"  She  then  marched  out  of  the  class  and 
has  not  returned  these  two  succeeding  Sab- 
157 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

baths.  It  was  to  talk  over  the  matter  I 
called  on  Mrs.  Carruthers  this  afternoon, 
and  I  have  never  had  my  sympathies  so 
stirred.  We  must  help  her,  my  dear 
friend!" 

I  never  enjoyed  anything  more  in  my  life 
than  the  hour  I  spent  helping  that  dear,  good, 
funny  man  plan  first  aids  to  the  rearing  of 
Sallie's  children.  Besides  my  cooperation 
he  has  planned  to  enlist  that  of  Aunt  Au 
gusta,  and  I  was  wicked  enough  to  let-  him 
do  it.  In  a  small  village  where  the  inhab 
itants  have  no  chance  at  diversions  like 
Wagnerian  operas  and  collapsing  sky 
scrapers  I  felt  that  I  had  no  right  to  avert 
the  spectacle  of  Aunt  Augusta's  disciplining 
Henrietta. 

I  '11  write  you  all  about  it,  Jane,  in  a  spe 
cial  delivery  letter. 

Jasper  whipped  Petunia  with  great  ap 
parent  severity  day  before  yesterday,  and 
we  have  been  having  the  most  heavenly  waf 
fles  and  broiled  chicken  ever  since.  I  dis- 
158 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

missed  Jasper  for  doing  it,  but  Petunia  came 
into  my  room  and  cried  about  it  a  half -hour,, 
so  I  had  to  go  out  where  he  was  rubbing  the 
silver  and  forgive  him  and  hire  him  over. 

"  When  a  woman  gits  her  mouth  stuck 
out  at  a  man  and  the  world  in  general  three 
days  hand  running  they  ain't  nothing  to 
cure  it  but  a  stick,"  he  answered  with  lofty 
scorn. 

•  "  Yes  'm,  dat  's  so,"  answered  Petunia. 
"  I  never  come  outen  a  spell  so  easy  before." 
And  her  yellow  face  had  a  pink  glow  of  hap 
piness  all  over  it  as  she  smiled  lovably  on 
the  black  brute. 

I  went  off  into  a  corner  and  sat  down  for 
a  quiet  hour  to  think.  Nobody  in  the  world 
knows  everything. 

"  Supper 's  on  the  table,"  Jasper  an 
nounced,  after  having  seen  Mr.  Haley  go 
down  the  front  walk  to-night.  Jasper  has 
such  great  respect  for  the  cloth  that  never 
in  the  world  would  he  have  asked  Mr.  Haley 
in  to  supper  without  having  at  least  a  day 
159 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

to  prepare  for  him.  Any  of  my  other 
friends  he  would  have  asked,  regardless  of 
whether  or  not  I  wanted  them. 

I  somehow  did  n't  feel  that  I  could  eat 
alone  to-night,  but  it  was  too  late  to  go 
for  Sallie  or  Cousin  Jasmine,  and  besides 
it  is  weak-minded  to  feel  that  way.  Why 
should  n't  I  want  to  eat  by  myself? 

This  is  a  great  big  house  for  just  one 
woman,  and  I  don't  see  why  I  have  to  be 
that  one!  I  never  was  intended  to  be  sin 
gle.  I  seem  to  even  think  double.  Way 
down  in  me  there  is  a  place  that  all  my  life 
I  have  been  laying  things  aside  in  to  tell 
some  day  to  somebody  that  will  understand. 
I  don't  remember  a  single  one  of  them  now, 
but  when  the  time  conies  somebody  is  going 
to  ask  me  a  question  very  softly  and  it  is 
going  to  be  the  key  that  will  unlock  the 
treasures  of  all  my  life,  and  he  will  take  them 
out  one  by  one,  and  look  at  them  and  love 
them  and  smile  over  them  and  scold  over 
them  and  be  frightened  even  to  swearing 
160 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

over  them,  perhaps  weep  over  them,  and 
then  —  while  I  'm  very  close  —  pray  over 
them.  I  could  feel  the  tears  getting  tan 
gled  in  my  lashes,  but  I  forced  them  back. 

Now,  I  don't  see  why  I  should  have  been 
sentimentalizing  over  myself  like  that. 
Just  such  a  longing,  miserable,  wait-until- 
he-comes  —  and  why-does  n't-he-hurry-or- 
I  '11-take-the-wrong-man  attitude  of  mind 
and  sentiment  in  women  in  general  is  what 
I  have  taken  a  vow  on  my  soul,  and  made  a 
great  big  important  wager  to  do  away  with. 
There  are  millions  of  lovely  men  in  the 
world  and  all  I  have  to  do  is  to  go  out  and 
find  the  right  one,  be  gentle  with  him  until 
he  understands  my  mode  of  attack  to  be  a 
bit  different  from  the  usual  crawfish  one 
employed  by  women  from  prehistoric  times 
until  now,  but  not  later;  and  then  domesti 
cate  him  in  any  way  that  suits  me. 

Here  I  Ve  been  in  Glendale  almost  three 
months  and  have  let  my  time  be  occupied 
keeping  house  for  nobody  but  myself  and 
161 


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to  entertain  my  friends,  planting  a  flower 
garden  that  can't  be  used  at  all  for  nourish 
ment,  and  sewing  on  another  woman's  baby 
clothes. 

I  Ve  written  millions  of  words  in  this 
book  and  there  is  as  yet  not  one  word  that 
will  help  the  Five  in  the  serious  and  impor 
tant  task  of  proving  that  they  have  a  right 
to  choose  their  own  mates,  and  certainly 
nothing  to  help  them  perform  the  cere 
monial. 

If  I  don't  do  better  than  this  Jane  will 
withdraw  her  offer  and  there  is  no  telling 
how  many  years  the  human  race  will  be 
retarded  by  my  lack  of  strength  of  charac 
ter. 

What  do  men  do  when  they  begin  to  see 
the  gray  hairs  on  their  temples  and  when 
they  have  been  best-man  at  twenty-three 
weddings,  and  are  tired  of  being  at  chris 
tenings  and  buying  rattles,  and  things  at 
the  club  all  taste  exactly  alike,  and  they 
have  purchased  ten  different  kinds  of  hair- 
162 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

tonic  that  it  bores  them  to  death  to  rub  on 
the  tops  of  their  own  heads  ? 

I  don't  want  any  man  I  know !  I  might 
want  Polk,  if  I  let  him  have  half  a  chance 
to  make  me,  but  that  would  be  dishonor 
able. 

I  've  got  up  so  much  nice  warm  sisterly 
love  for  Dickie  and  Mr.  Haley  that  I 
could  n't  begin  to  love  them  in  the  right 
way  now,  I  am  afraid.  Still,  I  have  n't 
seen  Dickie  for  three  months  and  maybe 
my  desperation  will  have  the  effect  of  en 
hancing  his  attractions.  I  hope  so. 

Still  I  am  disgusted  deeply  with  myself. 
I  believe  if  I  could  experiment  with  man 
kind  I  could  make  some  kind  of  creature 
that  would  be  a  lot  better  than  a  woman  for 
all  purposes,  and  I  would  — 

"  Supper 's  ready  and  company  come," 
Jasper  came  to  the  front  door  to  announce 
for  the  third  time.,  but  this  time  with  the 
unctuous  voice  of  delight  that  a  guest  always 
inspires  in  him.  I  promptly  went  in  to 
163 


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welcome  my  materialized  desire  whoever  it 
happened  to  be. 

The  Crag  was  standing  by  the  window  in 
the  half  light  that  came,  partly  from  the 
candles  in  their  tall  old  silver  candlesticks 
that  were  Grandmother  Shelby's,  and  partly 
from  the  last  glow  of  the  sun  down  over  the 
ridge.  That  was  what  I  needed ! 

"  I  was  coming  in  from  the  fields  across 
your  back  yard  and  I  saw  the  table  lighted 
and  you  on  the  front  porch,  star-gazing,  and 
—  and  I  got  Jasper  to  invite  me,"  he  said 
as  he  came  over  and  drew  out  my  chair  on 
one  side  of  that  wide  square  table,  while 
Jasper  stood  waiting  to  seat  him  at  the 
other,  about  a  mile  away. 

"  I  wanted  you,"  I  answered  him  stu 
pidly,  as  I  sank  into  my  place  and  leaned 
my  elbows  on  the  table  so  I  could  drop  my 
warm  cheeks  into  my  hands  comfortably. 
I  did  n't  see  why  I  should  be  blushing. 

"  That 's  the  reason  I  came  then,"  he  an 
swered,  as  he  looked  at  me  across  the  bowl 
164 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

of  musk  roses  that  were  sending  out  waves 
of  sweetness  to  meet  those  that  were  com 
ing  in  from  the  honeysuckle  climbing  over 
the  window.  "If  you  were  ever  lonely  and 
needed  me,  Evelina,  you  would  tell  me, 
would  n't  you  ?  "  he  asked,  as  he  leaned  to 
wards  me  and  regarded  me  still  more 
closely. 

And  again  those  two  treacherous  tears 
rose  and  tangled  themselves  in  my  lashes, 
though  I  did  shake  them  away  quickly  as  a 
smile  quivered  its  way  to  command  of  my 
mouth.  But  I  was  not  quick  enough  and  he 
saw  them. 

And  what  he  did  was  just  what  I  wanted 
him  to  do!  He  rose,  picked  up  his  chair 
and  came  around  that  huge  old  table  and 
sat  down  at  the  corner  just  as  near  to  my 
elbow  as  the  steaming  coffee  pot  would  let 
him. 

"If  you  wanted  me  any  time,  would  you 
tell  me,  Evelina? "  he  insisted  from  this 
closer  range. 

165 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

"  No,  I  would  n't,"  I  answered  with  a 
laugh.  "  I  would  expect  you  to  know  it, 
and  come  just  like  you  did  to-night." 

"  But  —  but  it  was  I  that  wanted  you 
badly  in  this  case/'  he  answered  with  an 
echo  of  the  laugh. 

But  even  under  the  laugh  I  saw  signs  of 
excitement  in  his  deep  eyes  and  his  long, 
lean  hands  shook  as  they  handed  me  his  cup 
to  pour  the  coffee.  Jasper  had  laid  his  sil 
ver  and  napkin  in  front  of  him  and  retired 
to  admonish  Petunia  as  to  the  exact  crisp- 
ness  of  her  first  waffle. 

"  What  is  it?  "  I  asked  breathlessly,  as  I 
moved  the  coffee  pot  from  between  us  to 
the  other  side. 

"  Just  a  letter  that  came  to  me  from  the 
Democratic  Headquarters  in  the  City,  that 
shook  me  up  a  bit  and  made  me  want  to  — 
to  tell  you  about  it.  Nobody  else  can  know 
—  I  have  been  out  on  Old  Harpeth  all  after 
noon  fighting  that  out,  and  telling  you  is 
the  only  thing  I  have  allowed  myself." 
166 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

"  They  want  you  to  be  the  next  Gov 
ernor,"  I  said  quickly.  "  And  you  will  be, 
too,"  I  added,  again  using  that  queer  place 
in  my  brain  that  seems  to  know  perfectly 
unknowable  things  and  that  only  works  in 
matters  that  concern  him. 

"No!" 

"  Yes,  Your  Excellency,"  I  hurled  at  him 
defiantly. 

"  You  witch,  you,"  he  answered  me  with 
a  pleased,  teasing  whimsicality  coming  into 
his  eyes.  "Of  course,  you  guessed  the  let 
ter  and  it  was  dear  to  have  you  do  it,  but 
we  both  know  it  is  impossible.  Nobody 
must  hear  of  it,  and  the  telling  you  has  been 
the  best  I  could  get  out  of  it  anyway.  Jas 
per,  take  my  compliments  to  Petunia,  this 
chicken  is  perfection!" 

That  eighth  wonder  of  the  world  which 
got  lost  was  something  even  more  mysteri 
ous  than  the  Sphinx.  It  was  a  marvel  that 
could  have  been  used  for  women  to  compare 
men  to.  That  man  sat  right  there  at  my 
167 


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side  and  ate  four  waffles,  two  large  pieces 
of  chicken  and  a  liver- wing,  drank  two  cups 
of  coffee,  and  then  devoured  a  huge  bowl 
of  peaches  and  cream,  with  three  mufrin- 
cakes,  while  enduring  the  tragedy  of  the 
realization  of  having  to  decline  the  Gov 
ernorship  of  his  State. 

I  watched  him  do  it,  first  in  awe  and 
then  with  a  dim  understanding  of  some 
thing,  I  was  n't  sure  what.  Most  women, 
under  the  circumstances,  would  have  gone 
to  bed  and  cried  it  out  or  at  least  have  re 
fused  food  for  hours.  We  Ve  got  to  get 
over  those  habits  before  we  get  to  the  point 
of  having  to  refuse  to  be  Governors  of  the 
States  and  railroad  presidents  and  things  like 
that. 

And  while  he  ate,  there  I  sat  not  able  to 
more  than  nibble  because  I  was  making  up 
my  mind  to  do  something  that  scared  me  to 
death  to  think  about.  That  gaunt,  Craggy 
man  in  a  shabby  gray  coat,  cut  ante-bellum 
wise,  with  a  cravat  that  wound  itself  around 
168 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

his  collar,  snowy  and  dainty,  but  on  the 
same  lines  as  the  coat  and  evidently  of  rural 
manufacture  in  the  style  favored  by  the 
flower  and  chivalry  of  the  day  of  Henry 
Clay,  had  progressive  me  as  completely 
overawed  for  several  minutes  as  any  painted 
redskin  ever  dominated  a  squaw  —  or  as 
Jasper  did  Petunia  in  my  own  kitchen. 

But  after  we  were  left  alone  with  the 
roses  and  the  candles  and  his  cigar,  with 
only  Jasper's  gratified  voice  mumbling  over 
compliments  to  Petunia  in  the  distance,  I 
took  my  courage  in  my  hands  and  plunged. 

This  can  be  used  as  data  for  the  Five. 

"James,"  I  said,  with  such  cool  deter 
mination  in  my  voice  that  it  almost  froze 
my  own  tongue,  "  I  meant  to  tell  you  about 
it  several  weeks  ago,  I  have  decided  to 
adopt  Sallie  and  all  the  children.  I  intend 
to  legally  adopt  the  children  and  just  nom 
inally  adopt  Sallie,  but  it  will  amount  to  the 
same  thing.  I  don't  have  to  have  your  con 
sent  but  I  think  it  is  courteous  to  ask  for  it." 
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"  What !  "  he  exclaimed,  as  he  sat  up  and 
looked  at  me  with  the  expression  an  alienist 
might  use  in  an  important  examination. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered,  gaining  courage  with 
time.  "  You  see,  I  was  crying  out  here  on 
the  porch  with  loneliness  when  you  found 
me.  I  can't  stand  this  any  longer.  I  must 
have  a  family  right  away  and  Sallie's  just 
suits  me.  I  have  to  take  a  great  deal  of 
interest  in  them  anyway  and  it  would  be 
easier  if  I  had  complete  control  of  them. 
It  will  leave  you  with  enough  family  to 
keep  you  from  being  lonely  and  then  we 
can  all  be  happy  together  down  into  old 
age." 

"  Have  you  said  anything  about  this  to 
Sallie  ?  "  he  asked  weakly  as  he  dipped  the 
end  of  his  cigar  into  his  glass  of  water 
and  watched  the  sputter  with  the  greatest 
interest. 

"  Not  yet,  but  don't  you  feel  sure  that 
she  will  consent  ? "  I  asked,  with  confi 
dence  in  my  plan  at  fever  heat.  "  Sallie  is 
170 


THE  ASAFETIDA  SPOON 

so  generous  and  she  can't  want  to  see  me 
live  lonely  always,  without  any  family  at 
all.  Now,  will  she?" 

"  She  would  consent ! "  he  answered 
slowly,  and  then  he  laid  his  head  down  on 
the  table  right  against  my  arm  and  shook  so 
that  the  candlesticks  rattled  against  the  can 
dles.  "  But  I  don't,"  he  gasped,  and  for 
the  life  of  me  I  could  n't  tell  whether  he 
was  crying  or  laughing,  until  he  sat  up 
again. 

"  Eve,"  he  said,  with  his  eyes  fairly 
dancing  into  mine,  "  if  women  in  general 
mean  to  walk  over  political  difficulties  as 
you  are  planning  to  walk  away  with  this 
one  of  mine,  I  'm  for  feminine  rule.  Don't 
you  dare  say  one  word  about  such  a  thing 
to  Sallie.  Of  course,  it  is  impossible  as  it 
is  funny." 

It  was  a  tragedy  to  have  such  a  lovely 

scheme  as  I  had  thought  up  on  the  spur  of 

the  moment,  knocked  down  suddenly  by  a 

half  dozen  positive  words  from  a  mere  man, 

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and  for  a  moment  my  eyes  fought  with  his 
in  open  rebellion.  Then  I  rose  haughtily 
and  walked  out  on  the  front  porch. 

"  Dear,"  he  said,  as  he  followed  me  and 
took  my  hand  in  his  and  drew  me  near  him, 
*'  don't  you  know  that  your  wanting  to  put 
your  shoulder  under  any  burden  I  may  be 
bearing  lifts  it  completely?  There  are 
things  in  this  situation  that  you  can't  un 
derstand.  If  I  seem  to  make  sacrifices, 
they  come  from  the  depths  of  my  heart  and 
are  not  sacrifices.  Will  you  believe  me  ?  " 

How  can  he  help  loving  Sallie  with  her 
so  emphatically  there? 

I  answered  him  I  suppose  to  his  liking 
and  he  went  on  across  the  road  to  Wide- 
gables  and  left  me  alone  in  the  cruel  dark 
ness. 

Please,  God,  when  things  seem  to  be 
drowning  me  like  this  make  me  swim  with 
head  up.  Amen! 


172 


CHAPTER  VII 

SOME   SMOLDERINGS 

I'M  a  failure!  Yes,  Jane,  I  am! 
Polk  Hayes  is  an  up-to-date,  bright 
man  of  the  world,  with  lots  of  brains  and  I 
should  say  about  the  average  masculine  na 
ture,  and  a  great  deal  more  than  the  average 
amount  of  human  charm.  However,  he  has 
got  no  more  brains  than  I  have,  has  had 
really  fewer  advantages,  and  it  ought  to  be 
easy  for  me  to  hold  my  own  against  him. 
But  I  am  about  to  fail  on  him. 

For  the  last  two  weeks  he  has  been  con 
stantly  with  Nell  and  has  got  her  in  a 
dreamy  state  that  shows  in  her  face  and 
every  movement  of  her  slim  body.  And 
yet  I  know  without  the  shadow  of  a  doubt 
that  he  is  just  biding  his  time  to  try  me  out 
173 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

and  get  me  on  his  own  terms.  My  heart 
aches  for  Nell,  and  I  just  could  n't  see  him 
murder  her  girlhood,  and  it  will  amount  to 
that  if  he  involves  her  heart  any  more  than 
it  is.  I  made  up  my  mind  to  have  it  out 
with  him  and  accordingly  let  him  come  and 
sit  on  my  side  steps  with  me  late  yesterday 
afternoon,  when  I  have  avoided  being  alone 
with  him  for  a  month. 

"  Polk,"  I  asked  him  suddenly  without 
giving  him  time  to  get  the  situation  into 
his  own  hands,  skilled  in  their  woman- 
handling,  "  do  you  intend  to  marry  Nell  or 
just  plain  break  her  heart  for  the  fun  you 
get  out  of  it?" 

His  dangerous  eyes  smoldered  back  at  me 
for  a  long  minute  before  he  answered  me: 

"  Men  don't  break  women's  hearts,  Eve 
lina." 

"  I  think  you  are  right,"  I  answered 
slowly,  "  they  do  just  wring  and  distort 
them  and  deform  them  for  life.  But  I  in 
tend  to  see  that  Nell's  has  no  such  tortur- 
174 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

ous  operation  performed  on  it  if  I  can  ap 
peal  to  you  or  convince  her." 

"  When  you  argue  with  Nell  be  sure  and 
don't  tell  her  just  exactly  the  things  you 
have  done  to  me  all  this  summer  through, 
Evelina,"  he  answered  coolly. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  I  demanded,  posi 
tively  cold  with  a  kind  of  astonished  fear. 

"  I  mean  that  I  have  never  offered  Nell 
one  half  of  the  torture  you  have  offered  me, 
every  day  since  you  came  home,  with  your 
damned  affectionate  friendliness.  When  I 
laugh,  you  answer  it  before  it  gets  articulate, 
and  when  I  gloom,  you  are  as  sympathetic  as 
sympathy  itself.  I  have  held  your  hand  and 
kissed  it,  instituting  and  not  quenching  a 
raging  thirst  thereby,  as  you  are  experienced 
enough  to  know.  You  have  made  yourself 
everything  for  me  that  is  responsive  and 
desirable  and  beautiful  and  worthy  and  have 
put  me  back  every  time  I  have  reached  out 
to  grasp  you.  You  don't  want  me,  you 
don't  want  to  marry  me  at  all,  you  just  want 
175 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

—  excitement.  You  are  as  cold  as  ice  that 
grinds  and  generates  fire.  Very  well,  you 
don't  have  to  take  me  —  and  I  '11  get  what 
I  can  from  Nell  —  and  others." 

"  Oh,  Polk,  how  could  you  have  misun 
derstood  me  like  this  ?  "  I  moaned  from  the 
depths  of  an  almost  broken  heart.  But  as 
I  moaned  I  understood  —  I  understood ! 

I  'm  doing  it  all  wrong !  I  had  the  most 
beautiful  human  love  for  him  in  my  heart 
and  he  thought  it  was  all  dastardly,  cold 
coquetting.  An  awful  spark  has  been 
struck  out  of  the  flint.  I  'm  not  worthy  to 
experiment  with  this  dreadful  man-and- 
woman  question.  I  just  laid  my  head  down 
on  my  arms,  resting  on  my  knees  and  cow 
ered  at  Folk's  feet. 

"  Don't  —  Evelina,  I  did  n't  mean  it,"  he 
said  quickly  in  a  shaken  voice.  But  he  did ! 

I  could  n't  answer  him  and  as  I  sat  still 

and  prayed  in  my  heart  for  some  words  to 

come  that  would  do  away  with  the  horror 

I  heard  Sallie's  voice  from  my  front  walk, 

176 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

and  she  and  Mr.  Haley,  each  carrying  a 
sleeping  twin,  came  around  the  corner  of 
the  porch. 

That  interruption  was  a  direct  answer  to 
prayer,  for  God  knew  that  I  just  must  have 
time  to  think  before  having  this  out  with 
Polk.  I  sometimes  feel  ashamed  of  the 
catastrophes  I  have  to  pray  quick  about,  but 
what  would  I  do  if  I  couldn't? 

I  don't  know  how  I  got  through  the  rest 
of  this  evening,  but  I  did  —  I  pray  for 
sleep.  Amen ! 

Watching  the  seasons  follow  each  other 
in  the  Harpeth  Valley  gives  me  the  agony 
of  a  dumb  poet,  who  can  feel  though  not 
sing. 

It  was  spring  when  I  came  down  here 
four  months  ago,  a  young,  tender,  mist- 
veiled,  lilac-scented  spring  that  nestled 
firmly  in  your  heart  and  made  it  ache  with 
sweetness  that  you  hardly  understood  your 
self. 

But  before  I  knew  it  the  young  darling, 
177 


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with  her  curls  and  buds  and  apple-blooms 
had  gone  and  summer  was  rioting  over  the 
gardens  and  fields  and  hills,  rich,  lush  col 
ored,  radiant,  redolent,  gorgeous,  rose- 
scented  and  pulsing  with  a  life  that  made 
me  breathless.  Even  the  roads  along  the 
valley  were  bordered  with  flowers  that  the 
sun  had  wooed  to  the  swooning  point. 

But  this  week,  early  as  it  is,  there  has 
been  a  hint  of  autumn  in  the  air,  and  a  haze 
is  beginning  to  creep  over  the  whole  world, 
especially  in  the  early  mornings,  which  are 
so  dew-gemmed  that  they  seem  to  be  hinting 
a  warning  of  the  near  coming  of  frost  and 
snow. 

My  garden  has  grown  into  a  perfect  riot 
of  blooms,  but  for  the  last  two  weeks  queer 
slugs  have  begun  to  eat  the  tender  buds  that 
are  forming  for  October  blooming,  and  I 
have  been  mourning  over  it  by  day  and  by 
night  and  to  everybody  who  will  listen. 

Aunt  Augusta  insists  that  the  only  thing 
to  do  is  to  get  up  with  the  first  crack  of 
178 


SOME  SMOLDERIXGS 

dawn  and  carefully  search  out  each  slug, 
remove  it  and  destroy  it.  She  says  if  this 
is  done  for  a  week  they  will  be  exterminated. 

I  carefully  explained  it  all  to  Jasper  and 
when  I  came  down  to  breakfast  he  was  corn 
ing  in  with  three  queer  green  things,  also 
with  an  injured  air  of  having  been  kept  up 
all  night.  I  did  n't  feel  equal  to  making 
him  go  on  with  the  combat  and  ignored  the 
question  for  two  days  until  I  saw  all  the 
buds  on  my  largest  Neron  done  for  in  one 
night. 

I  have  always  been  able  to  get  up  at  the 
break  of  day  to  go  sketching  —  it  was  at 
daybreak  that  I  made  my  sketch  in  the 
Defleury  gardens  that  captured  the  French 
art  eye  enough  to  get  me  my  Salon  men 
tion.  If  I  could  get  up  to  splash  water- 
colors  at  that  hour,  I  surely  could  rush  to 
the  protection  of  my  own  roses,  so  I  went 
to  bed  with  gray  dawn  on  my  mind  and  the 
shutters  wide  open  so  the  first  light  would 
get  full  in  my  eyes. 

179 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

I  am  glad  that  it  was  a  good  bright  ray 
that  woke  me  and  partly  dazzled  me,  for 
the  sight  I  had,  after  I  had  been  kneeling 
down  in  the  rose  bed  for  fifteen  minutes, 
was  something  of  a  shock  to  me,  though  no 
reason  in  the  world  why  it  should  have  been. 
I  can't  remember  that  I  ever  speculated  as 
to  whether  the  Crag  wore  pajamas  or  not, 
and  I  don't  see  that  I  should  have  been  sur 
prised  that  he  did  instead  of  the  night  shirt 
of  our  common  ancestry. 

He  came  around  the  side  of  the  house 
out  of  the  sun-shot  mist  and  was  half  way 
down  the  garden  path  before  I  saw  him  or 
he  saw  me,  and  I  must  say  that  his  uncon 
cern  under  the  circumstances  was  rather 
remarkable. 

He  was  attired  in  a  light  blue  silk  pajama 
jacket  that  was  open  at  the  throat  and  half 
way  down  his  broad  breast.  He  had  on 
his  usual  gray  trousers,  but  tags  of  blue 
trailed  out  and  ruffled  around  his  bare  an 
kles,  and  across  his  bare  heels  that  pro- 
180 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

truded  from  his  slippers.  His  hair  was  in 
heavy  tousled  black  curls  all  over  his  head 
and  his  gray  eyes  were  positively  mysterious 
with  interrupted  dreams.  In  one  hand  he 
carried  a  tin  can  and  in  the  other  a  small 
pointed  stick,  which  looked  murderously 
fitted  for  the  extermination  of  the  maraud 
ers. 

I  was  positively  nervous  over  the  prospect 
of  his  embarrassment  when  he  should  catch 
sight  of  me,  but  there  was  none. 

"  Eve !  "  he  exclaimed,  with  surprise,  and 
a  ray  of  pure  delight  drove  away  the  dreams 
in  his  eyes.  Nobody  in  the  wide  world  calls 
me  Eve  but  just  the  Crag,  and  he  does  it 
in  a  queer,  still  way  when  he  is  surprised 
to  see  me,  or  glad,  or  sorry,  or  moved  with 
any  kind  of  sudden  emotion. 

And  queer  as  it  is  I  have  to  positively 
control  the  desire  to  answer  him  with  the 
correlated  title  —  Adam! 

"  I  forgot  to  tell  you  yesterday  that  I 
was  coming  over  to  get  the  slugs  for  you, 
181 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

•dear,"  he  said  as  he  came  down  the  row  of 
roses  next  to  mine,  squatted  opposite  to 
where  I  was  kneeling  by  the  bushy,  suffer 
ing  Neron  and  began  to  examine  the  under 
side  of  each  leaf  carefully.  He  was  the 
most  beautiful  thing  I  have  ever  seen  in  the 
early  light  with  his  great  chest  bare  and 
the  blue  of  the  pajamas  melting  into  the 
bronze  of  his  throat  and  calling  out  the  gray 
in  his  eyes.  I  had  to  force  myself  into 
being  gardener  rather  than  artist,  as  we 
laughed  together  over  the  glass  bowl  and 
silver  spoon  I  had  brought  out  for  the  un 
doing  of  the  slugs.  Some  day  I  'm  going  to 
paint  him  like  that ! 

I  found  out  about  the  pajamas  from 
questioning  Aunt  Martha  discreetly.  They 
seemed  so  incongruous  in  relation  to  the 
usual  old  Henry  Clay  coat  and  stock  collar, 
that  I  had  to  know  the  reason  why.  Mrs. 
Hargrove's  son  was  a  very  worldly  man, 
she  says,  and  wore  them.  It  comforts  her 
to  make  them  for  the  Crag  to  wear  in 
182 


His  gray  eyes  were  positively  mysterious  with 
interrupted  dreams 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

memoriam.  He  wears  the  collars  Cousin 
Martha  makes  him  with  her  own  fingers 
after  the  pattern  she  made  his  father's  by, 
for  the  same  reason,  and  lets  Cousin  Jas 
mine  cut  his  hair  because  she  always  cut  her 
father's,  Colonel  Horton's,  until  his  death. 
That  accounts  for  the  ante-bellum  curls  and 
the  irregular  tags  in  the  back.  I  almost 
laughed  when  Cousin  Martha  was  telling 
me,  but  I  remembered  how  a  glow  rose  in 
my  heart  when  I  saw  that  he  still  had 
Father's  little  old  Confederate  comrade 
tailor  cut  his  coats  on  the  same  pattern  on 
which  he  had  cut  Father's,  since  the  days 
of  reconstruction.  Sometimes  it  startles 
me  to  find  that  with  all  my  emancipation  I 
am  very  like  other  women. 

But  I  wonder  what  I  would  do  if  Sallie 
attired  him  in  any  of  the  late  Henry's  wear 
ing  apparel? 

"  What  do  you  suppose  is  the  why  of 
such  useless  things  as  slugs  ?  "  I  speculated 
to  stop  that  thought  off  sharp  as  we  crawled 
183 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

down  the  row  together,  he  searching  one 
side  of  each  bush  and  I  the  other. 

"  Well,  they  brought  on  this  nice  com 
panionable  hunt  for  them,  did  n't  they  ?  "  he 
asked,  looking  over  into  my  eyes  with  a 
laugh. 

"  I  wanted  to  see  you  early  this  morning 
anyway,"  he  hastily  resumed.  "  Sallie  and 
the  Dominie  sat  talking  to  you  so  late  last 
night  that  I  did  n't  feel  it  was  fair  to  come 
across  after  they  left.  But  I  wanted  you 
so  I  could  hardly  get  to  sleep,  and  I  was  just 
half  awake  from  a  dream  of  you,  when  I 
came  into  the  garden." 

"  My  evenings  don't  belong  to  anybody, 
if  you  need  them,  Jamie,  and  you  don't 
have  to  be  told  that,"  I  answered  crossly 
when  I  thought  what  a  grand  time  I  might 
have  been  having  talking  about  real  things 
with  the  Crag,  instead  of  wrestling  with 
Folk's  romantics  or  Sallie's  and  Mr.  Haley's 
gush. 

"  Go  on  and  tell  me  all  about  it,  while  I 
184 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

crawl  after  you  like  a  worm  myself,"  I 
snapped  still  further. 

"  Well,  here  goes !  In  the  City  Coun 
cil  meeting  last  night  your  Uncle  Peter  told 
us  about  the  plans  that  they  have  made  up 
at  Bolivar  for  entertaining  the  C.  &  G.  Com 
mission,  and  the  gloom  of  Polk  and  Lee, 
Ned  and  the  rest  of  them  could  have  easily 
been  cut  in  blocks  and  used  for  cold  storage 
purposes.  They  are  just  all  down  and  out 
about  it  and  no  fight  left.  Of  course,  they 
all  lose  by  the  bond  issue,  but  I  can't  see 
that  it  is  bad  enough  to  knock  them  all  out 
like  this.  I  got  up  in  mighty  wrath  and 
—  and  I  have  got  myself  into  one  job.  My 
eloquence  landed  me  right  into  one  large 
hole,  and  I  am  reaching  out  for  a  hand 
from  you." 

"  Here  it  is,"  and  I  reached  over  and 
left  a  smear  of  loam  across  the  back  of  his 
hand,  while  I  brought  away  a  brown 
circle  around  my  wrist  that  the  responsive 
grasp  of  his  fingers  left.  "  Do  you  want 
185 


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me    single-handed    to    get    the    bluff    line 
chosen  ?  " 

"  Not  quite,  but  almost,"  he  answered 
with  another  laugh.  "  You  would  if  you 
tried,  I  have  n't  a  doubt.  Do  you  remem 
ber  the  talk  we  had  the  other  night  about 
its  seeming  inhospitable  of  you  not  to  in 
vite  the  other  gentlemen  in  the  Commission 
over  to  see  you  when  you  invite  Hall  and 
his  father?  And  you  know  you  had  partly 
planned  some  sort  of  entertainment  for  the 
whole  bunch.  You  had  the  right  idea  at 
the  right  place,  as  you  always  do.  As  you 
said,  we  don't  want  Bolivar  to  see  us  with 
what  looks  like  a  grouch  on  us  at  their  good 
fortune,  and  I  think  that  as  the  Commission 
are  all  to  be  here  as  the  guests  of  a  private 
citizen,  Glendale  ought  to  entertain  them 
publicly.  There  is  no  hope  to  get  the  line 
for  us,  but  I  would  like  those  men  at  least 
to  see  what  the  beauty  of  that  bluff  road 
would  be.  The  line  across  the  river  runs 
through  the  only  ugly  part  of  the  valley, 
186 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

and  while  I  know  in  the  balance  between 
dollars  and  scenery,  scenery  will  go  down 
and  out,  still  it  would  be  good  for  them  to 
see  it  and  at  least  get  a  vision  of  what  might 
have  been,  to  haunt  them  when  they  take 
their  first  trip  through  the  swamps  across 
the  country  there.  Now,  as  you  are  to  have 
them  anyway,  I  want  to  have  the  whole  town 
entertain  the  whole  Commission  and  Bolivar 
with  what  is  classically  called  among  us  a 
barbecue-rally,  the  countryside  to  be  invited. 
Bolivar  is  going  to  give  them  a  banquet,  to 
be  as  near  like  what  the  Bolivarians  imagine 
they  have  in  New  York  as  possible,  and 
Mrs.  Doctor  Henderson  is  to  give  them  a 
pink  tea  reception  to  which  carefully  chosen 
presentables,  like  you  and  me,  are  to  be 
invited.  You  remember  that  circus  day  in 
July  ?  —  a  rally  will  be  like  that  or  more  so. 
What  do  you  think?" 

"  Oh,  I  think  you  are  a  genius  to  think 
about  it,"  I  gasped,  as  I  sat  down  on  a  very 
cruel  Killarney  branch  and  just  as  quickly 
187 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

sat  up  again,  receiving  comforting  expres 
sions  of  sympathy  from  across  the  bush,  to 
which  I  paid  no  heed.  "  Those  blase  city 
men  will  go  crazy  about  it.  We  can  have 
the  barbecue  up  on  the  bluff,  where  we  have 
always  had  it  for  the  political  rallies,  and 
a  fish- fry  and  the  country  people  in  their 
wagons  with  children  tumbling  all  over 
everything  and  —  and  you  will  make  a  great 
speech  with  all  of  us  looking  on  and  being 
proud  of  you,  because  nobody  in  New  York 
or  beyond  can  do  as  well.  We  can  invite  a 
lot  of  people  up  from  the  City  and  over 
from  Bolivar  and  Hillsboro  and  Providence 
to  hear  you  tell  them  all  about  Tennessee 
while  things  are  cooking  and  — " 

"  This  rally  is  to  show  off  Glendale  not 
—  the  Crag,"  he  interrupted  me  with  a 
quizzical  laugh. 

Now,  how  did  he  know  I  called  him  the 

Crag  in  my  heart?     I  suppose  I  did  it  to 

his  face  and  never  knew.     I  seem  to  think 

right  out  loud  when  I  am  with  him  and 

188 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

feel  out  loud,  too.  I  ignored  his  levity,  that 
was  out  of  place  when  he  saw  how  my  brain 
was  beginning  to  work  well  and  rapidly. 

"You  mean,  don't  you,  Jamie,  that  you 
want  to  get  Glendale  past  this  place  that  is 
—  humiliating  —  swimming  with  her  head 
up?  "  I  asked  softly  past  a  rose  that  drooped 
against  my  cheek. 

Perfectly  justifiable  tears  came  to  my 
lashes  as  I  thought  what  a  humiliation  it 
all  was  to  him  and  the  rest  of  them,  to  be 
passed  by  an  opportunity  like  that  and  left 
to  die  in  their  gray  moldiness  off  the  main 
line  of  life  —  shelved. 

"  That  is  one  of  my  prayers,  to  get  past 
humiliations,  swimming  with  my  head  up," 
I  added  softly,  though  I  blushed  from  my 
toes  to  my  top  curl  at  the  necessity  that 
had  called  out  the  prayer  the  last  time.  It 's 
awful  on  a  woman  to  feel  herself  growing 
up  stiff  and  sturdy  by  a  man's  side  and  then 
to  get  sight  of  a  gourd-vine  tangling  itself 
up  between  them.  I  'm  the  dryad  out  of 
189 


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one  of  my  own  twin  oaks  down  by  the  gate, 
and  I  want  the  other  twin  to  be  — 

I  wonder  if  his  eyes  really  look  to  other 
women  like  deep  gray  pools  that  you  can 
look  deeper  and  deeper  into  and  never  seem 
to  get  to  the  bottom,  no  matter  if  the  look 
does  seem  to  last  forever  and  you  feel  your 
self  blushing  and  wanting  to  take  your  eyes 
away,  or  if  it  is  just  I  that  get  so  drowned 
in  them! 

"  You  Ve  a  gallant  stroke,  Evelina,"  he 
said  softly,  as  I  at  last  gained  possession  of 
my  own  sight.  "  And  here  I  am  with  a 
hand  out  to  you  for  assistance  in  carrying 
out  your  own  plan  that  seems  to  be  just  the 
thing  to — " 

"  Say,  Cousin  James,  Aunt  Marfy  says 
for  you  to  come  home  to  breakfast  right 
away.  Mis'  Hargrove  won't  let  nobody  be 
gin  until  you  says  the  blessing,  and  Cousin 
Jasmine  have  got  the  headache  from  wait 
ing  for  her  coffee.  What  do  you  want  to 
fool  with  Evelina  this  time  of  day  for 
190 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

anyway?  "  And  with  the  delivery  of  which 
message  and  reproof  Henrietta  stood  on  the 
edge  of  the  path  looking  down  upon  us  with 
great  and  scornful  interest. 

"  You  've  got  on  your  night  shirt  and 
have  n't  combed  your  hair  or  washed  your 
face,"  she  continued  sternly.  "  There  '11  be 
hell  to  pay  with  all  the  breakfast  getting 
cold,  and  I  'm  empty  down  to  my  feet. 
Come  on,  quick !  " 

"  Henrietta,"  I  said,  sternly,  as  I  rose  to- 
my  feet,  "  I  've  asked  you  once  not  to  say 
ugly  words  like  that." 

"  I  '11  go  make  the  lightning  toilet,  Hen 
rietta.  Do  run  like  a  good  girl  and  ask 
Mrs.  Hargrove  to  let  Cousin  Jasmine  have 
her  cup  of  coffee  right  away.  I  '11  be  there 
before  the  rest  are  dead  from  hunger,"  and 
Cousin  James  skilfully  interrupted  the 
threatened  feminine  clash  as  he  emptied  my 
glass  bowl  into  his  tin  can  and  stuck  the 
sharp  stick  in  the  ground  for  future  refer 
ence.  Even  Henrietta's  pointed  allusion  to 
191 


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his  toilet  had  not  in  the  least  ruffled  his 
equanimity  or  brought  a  shade  of  conscious 
ness  to  his  face. 

"  Mis'  Hargrove  said  that  the  Bible  said 
not  for  any  woman  to  say  a  blessing  at  any 
table  or  at  any  place  that  anybody  can  hear 
her,  when  Cousin  Marfy  wanted  to  be  po 
lite  to  the  Lord  by  saying  just  a  little  one 
and  go  on  before  we  was  all  too  hungry," 
answered  Henrietta,  in  her  most  scornfully 
tolerant  voice.  "If  women  eat  out  loud  be 
fore  everybody  why  can't  they  pray  their 
thank-you  out  loud  like  any  man  ?  " 

"  Answer  her,  Evelina,"  laughed  Cousin 
James,  as  he  hurried  down  the  walk  away 
from  us. 

"  Henrietta,"  I  asked,  in  a  calmly  argu 
mentative  tone  of  voice  as  she  and  I  walked 
up  the  path  to  the  house,  "  did  n't  Mr. 
Haley  talk  to  you  just  yesterday  and  tell 
you  how  wicked  it  is  for  you  to  use  —  use 
such  strong  words  as  you  do  ?  " 

Mr.  Haley  had  told  me  just  a  few  days 
192 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

ago  that  he  and  Aunt  Augusta  had  agreed 
to  open  their  campaign  of  reform  on  Hen 
rietta  by  a  pastoral  lecture  from  him,  to  be 
followed  strongly  by  a  neighborly  one  from 
her. 

"  No,  he  never  did  any  such  thing,"  an 
swered  Henrietta,  promptly  —  and  what 
Henrietta  says  is  always  the  truth,  because 
she  is  n't  afraid  of  anybody  or  anything 
enough  to  tell  a  lie  — "  he  just  telled  me 
over  and  over  in  a  whole  lot  of  words  how 
I  ought  to  love  and  be  good  to  Sallie.  If 
I  was  to  love  Sallie  that  kind  of  way,  he 
said,  I  would  be  so  busy  I  could  n't  do  none 
of  the  things  Sallie  don't  like  to  do  herself 
and  makes  me  do.  'Stid  er  saying,  '  my 
precious  mother,  I  love  you  and  want  to  be 
good  because  you  want  me  to,'  about  every 
hour,  I  had  better  wipe  the  twins'  noses,  and 
wash  the  dirt  offen  them,  and  light  Aunt 
Dilsie's  phthisic  pipe,  and  get  things  upstairs 
for  Sallie  and  Miss  Jasmine  and  everybody 
when  they  are  downstairs.  I  'm  too  busy,  I 
193 


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am,  to  be  so  religious.  And  I  'm  too  hun 
gry  to  talk  any  more  about  it."  With 
which  she  departed. 

I  sank  on  the  side  steps  and  laughed  until 
a  busy  old  bumble-bee  came  down  from  a 
late  honeysuckle  blossom  and  buzzed  around 
to  see  what  it  was  all  about.  Henrietta's 
statement  of  the  case  was  a  graphic  and 
just  one.  Sallie  has  got  a  tendril  around 
Henrietta  which  grows  by  the  day.  Poor 
tot,  she  does  have  a  hard  and  hardening 
time  —  and  how  can  I  lecture  her  for 
swearing? 

With  a  train  of  thought  started  by  Hen 
rietta  I  sat  at  my  solitary  breakfast  in  a 
deeply  contemplative  mood.  Life  was  go 
ing  to  press  hard  on  Henrietta.  And 
reared  in  the  fossilized  atmosphere  of  Wide- 
gables,  which  tried  to  draw  all  its  six  sep 
arate  feminine  breaths  as  one  with  a  lone, 
supporting  man,  how  was  she  to  develop 
the  biceps  of  strength  of  mind  and  soul,  as 
well  as  body,  to  meet  the  conditions  she  was 
194 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

likely  to  have  to  meet?  Still  her  coming 
tussle  with  Aunt  Augusta  would  be  a  tonic 
at  least.  I  was  just  breaking  a  last  muffin 
and  beginning  to  smile  when  I  saw  a  dele 
gation  coming  down  the  street  and  turning 
into  my  front  gate;  I  rose  to  meet  it  with 
distinction. 

Aunt  Augusta  marched  at  the  head  and 
Nell  and  Caroline  were  on  each  side  of  her, 
while  Sallie  and  Mamie  Hall  brought  up 
the  rear,  walking  more  deliberately  and  each 
carrying  a  baby,  comparing  some  sort  of 
white  tags  of  sewing.  Cousin  Martha  was 
crossing  the  Road  in  their  wake  with  her 
knitting  bag  and  palm  leaf  fan. 

One  thing  I  am  proud  of  having  accom 
plished  this  summer  is  the  establishing  of 
friendly  relations  with  Aunt  Augusta.  I 
made  up  my  mind  that  she  probably  needed 
to  have  some  of  my  affection  ladled  out  to 
her  more  than  anybody  in  Glendale,  and  I 
worked  on  all  the  volatile  fear  and  resent 
ment  and  dislike  I  had  ever  had  for  her  all 
195 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

my  life,  and  I  have  succeeded  in  liquefying 
it  into  a  genuine  liking  for  the  martial  old 
personality.  If  Aunt  Augusta  had  been  a 
man  she  would  have  probably  led  a  regiment 
up  San  Juan  Hill,  died  in  the  trenches,  and 
covered  herself  and  family  with  glory.  She 
is  the  newest  woman  in  the  Harpeth 
Valley,  and  though  sixty  years  old,  she 
is  lineally  Sallie  Carruthers's  own  grand 
daughter. 

"  Evelina,"  she  began,  as  soon  as  she  had 
martialed  her  forces  into  rocking-chairs, 
though  she  had  Jasper  bring  her  the  stiffest 
and  straightest-backed  one  in  the  house,  "  I 
have  collected  as  many  women  as  I  had  time 
to,  and  have  come  up  here  to  tell  you,  and 
them,  that  the  men  in  Glendale  are  so  lacking 
in  sense  and  judgment  that  the  time  has 
come  for  women  to  stand  forth  and  assume 
the  responsibility  of  them  and  Glendale  in 
general.  As  the  wife  of  the  poor  decrepit 
Mayor,  I  appoint  myself  chairman  of  the 
meeting  pro  tern  and  ask  you  to  take  the 
196 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

first  minutes.  If  disgrace  is  threatening  us 
we  must  at  least  face  it  in  an  orderly  and 
parliamentary  way.  And  I  —  " 

"  Oh,  Mrs.  Shelby,  is  it  —  is  it  small 
pox  ?  "  and  as  Sallie  spoke  she  hugged  up  the 
Puppy  baby,  who  happened  to  be  the  twin 
in  her  arms,  so  that  she  bubbled  and  giggled, 
mistaking  her  embraces  for  those  of  frolic 
some  affection. 

Mamie  turned  pale  and  held  her  baby  tight 
and  I  could  see  that  she  was  having  light 
spasms  of  alarm,  one  for  each  one  of  the 
children  and  one  for  Ned. 

"  Smallpox,  fiddlesticks  —  I  said  disgrace, 
Sallie  Carruthers,  and  the  worst  kind  of  dis 
grace  —  municipal  disgrace."  And  as  Aunt 
Augusta  named  the  plague  that  was  to  come 
upon  us,  she  looked  as  if  she  expected  it  to 
wilt  us  all  into  sear  and  dried  leaves.  And 
in  point  of  fact,  we  all  did  rustle. 

"  Tell  us  about  it,"  said  Nell,  with  spark 
ling  eyes  and  sitting  up  in  her  low  rocker  as 
straight  as  Aunt  Augusta  did  in  her  uncom- 
197 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

promising  seat.  The  rest  of  them  just 
looked  helpless  and  undecided  as  to  whether 
to  be  relieved  or  not. 

"  Yes,  municipal  disgrace  threatens  the 
town,  and  the  women  must  rise  in  their 
strength  and  avert  it,"  she  declaimed  ma 
jestically  with  her  dark  eyes  snapping. 
"  Yesterday  afternoon  James  Hardin,  who 
is  the  only  patriotic  male  in  Glendale,  put 
before  the  Town  Council  a  most  reasonable 
and  pride-bestirring  proposition  originated 
by  Evelina  Shelby,  one  of  Glendale's  lead 
ing  citizens,  though  a  woman.  She  wants 
to  offer  the  far-famed  hospitality  of  Glen- 
dale  —  which  is  the  oldest  and  most  aristo 
cratic  town  in  the  Harpeth  Valley,  except 
perhaps  Hillsboro,  and  which  is  not  in  the 
class  with  a  vulgarly  rich,  modern  place  like 
Bolivar,  that  has  a  soap-factory  and  street 
cars,  and  was  a  mud-hole  in  the  landscape 
when  the  first  Shelby  built  this  very  house, 
—  to  the  Commission  of  magnates  who  are 
to  come  down  about  the  railroad  lines  that 
198 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

are  to  be  laid  near  us.  James  agrees  with 
her  and  urges  that  it  is  fitting  and  dignified 
that,  when  they  are  through  with  their  vul 
gar  trafficking  over  at  insignificant  Bolivar, 
they  be  asked  to  partake  of  real  southern 
hospitality  at  its  fountain  head,  especially  as 
Evelina  is  obliged  to  invite  two  of  them  as 
personal  friends.  Do  you  not  see  it  in  that 
light?"  And  Aunt  Augusta  looked  at  us 
with  the  martial  mien  of  a  general  com 
manding  his  army  for  a  campaign. 

"  It  would  be  nice,"  answered  Mamie,  as 
she  turned  little  Ned  over  on  his  stomach 
across  her  knee  and  began  to  sway  him  and 
trot  him  at  the  same  time,  which  was  his 
signal  to  get  off  into  a  nap.  "  But  Ned  said 
last  night  that  he  had  lost  so  much  in  the 
bond  subscription,  that  he  did  n't  feel  like 
spending  any  more  money  for  an  entertain 
ment,  that  would  n't  do  one  bit  of  good  about 
the  taxes  or  bonds  or  anything.  The  baby 
was  beginning  to  fret,  so  I  don't  think  I  un 
derstood  it  exactly." 

199 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

"  I  don't  think  you  did,"  answered  Aunt 
Augusta,  witheringly.  "  That  is  not  the 
point  at  all,  and  —  " 

"  But  Mr.  Greenfield  said  last  night,  while 
he  was  discussing  it  with  Father,  that  it 
would  do  no  good  whatever  and  probably  be 
an  embarrassment  to  the  Commission,  our 
putting  in  a  pitiful  bid  like  that.  He — " 
but  Caroline  got  no  further  with  the  fem 
inine  echo  of  her  masculine  opinion- former. 

"  Peter  Shelby  put  that  objection  much 
more  picturesquely  than  Lee  Greenfield," 
Aunt  Augusta  snapped.  "  He  said  that 
licking  those  men's  hands  would  turn  his 
stomach,  after  swallowing  that  bond  issue. 
However,  all  this  has  nothing  to  do  with  the 
case.  I  am  trying  to  —  " 

"  Polk  said  last  night  that  he  thought  it 
would  be  much  more  spectacular  for  all  the 
good  looking  women  in  town  to  go  when  we 
are  invited  to  Mrs.  Henderson's  tea  for  the 
big  bugs,  and  dazzle  'em  so  that  it  would  at 
least  put  Glendale  on  the  map,"  said  Nell, 
200 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 
with  spirit.     "  He  made  me   so  mad  that 

"  Mr.  Haley  thinks  that  we  should  be  very 
careful  not  to  feel  malice  or  envy  towards 
Bolivar,  but  to  rejoice  at  their  good  fortune 
in  getting  both  roads  and  the  shops,  even 
if  it  does  mean  a  loss  to  us.  What  is  ma 
terial  wealth  in  this  world  anyway  when  we 
can  depend  so  on  — "  Sallie's  expression 
was  so  beautifully  silly  and  like  the  Do 
minie's,  that  it  was  all  that  I  could  do  not 
to  give  vent  to  an  unworthy  shout.  Nell 
saw  it  as  I  did  and  I  felt  her  smother  a 
giggle. 

But  before  Aunt  Augusta  could  get  her 
breath  to  put  the  crux  of  the  matter  straight 
before  her  feminine  tribunal,  Aunt  Martha 
beat  her  to  it  as  she  placidly  rocked  back  and 
forth  knitting  lace  for  a  petticoat  for  Hen 
rietta. 

"  Of  course,  Glendale  does  n't  really  care 
about  the  railroad;  in  fact,  we  would  much 
rather  not  have  our  seclusion  broken  in  up- 
201 


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on,  especially  as  they  might  choose  the  route 
they  have  prospected  "  —  with  a  glance  at 
Sallie  — "  but  it  is  to  show  them  our  friend 
liness,  more  Bolivar  than  the  actual  Com 
mission,  and  our  desire  to  rejoice  with  them 
in  their  good  fortune.  It  would  be  very 
mean  spirited  of  us  to  ignore  them  and  not 
assist  them  in  entertaining  their  guests, 
especially  as  some  of  them  must  be  invited. 
We  've  never  been  in  such  an  attitude  as 
that  to  Bolivar!" 

"  Exactly,  Martha,"  answered  Aunt  Au 
gusta  with  relief.  "  The  thought  of  proud 
old  Glendale  putting  herself  in  an  attitude 
of  municipal  sulks  towards  common  Bolivar 
seemed  an  unbearable  disgrace  to  me. 
Did  n't  we  invite  them  up  for  a  great  fish- 
fry  on  the  river  when  they  opened  that  odi 
ous  soap  factory,  and  ask  them  to  let  us  help 
take  care  of  some  of  their  delegates  when 
they  had  the  Methodist  Conference?  They 
sent  one  of  the  two  bishops  to  you,  you  re 
member,  Martha,  and  I  am  sure  your  enter- 

202 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

tainment  of  him  was  so  lavish  that  he  went 
home  ill.  No  man  said  us  nay  in  the  exer 
cising  our  right  of  religious  hospitality,  why 
should  they  in  our  civic  ?  We  must  not  al 
low  the  town  to  put  us  in  such  an  attitude! 
Must  Not!  It  was  for  this  that  I  called 
this  meeting  at  Evelina's,  as  she  was  the  one 
to  propose  this  public-spirited  and  creditable 
plan." 

"  But  what  shall  we  do  if  they  don't  want 
to  have  it  ?  "  asked  Mamie. 

"  I  have  asked,  when  did  the  men  of  Glen- 
dale  begin  to  dictate  to  the  women  as  to 
whom  they  should  offer  their  hospitality  ?  " 
answered  Aunt  Augusta,  as  she  arose  to  her 
feet.  "  Are  we  free  women,  and  have  we, 
or  have  we  not,  command  of  our  own  store 
rooms  and  our  own  servants  and  our  own 
time  and  strength  ?  " 

And  as   I  looked  up  at  the  tall,  fierce, 

white-haired    old    dame    of    high    degree, 

daughter  of  the  women  of  the  Colonies  and 

the  women  of  the  Wilderness  days,  I  got  ex- 

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actly  the  same  sensation  I  had  when  I  saw 
the  Goddess  of  Liberty  loom  up  out  of  the 
mist  as  I  sailed  into  the  harbor  of  my  own 
land  from  a  foreign  one.  And  what  I  was 
feeling  I  knew  every  woman  present  was 
feeling  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  except 
perhaps  Sallie,  for  her  face  was  a  puzzle  of 
sore  amazement  and  a  pleading  desire  for 
further  sleep. 

"  Have  we  or  have  we  not  ?  "  Aunt  Au 
gusta  again  demanded,  and  just  then  a  most 
wonderful  thing  happened! 

Jane  stood  in  our  midst! 

Oh,  Jane,  you  were  a  miracle  to  me,  but  I 
must  go  on  writing  about  it  all  calmly  for 
the  sake  of  the  Five ! 

I  made  a  mad  rush  from  my  rocker  to 
throw  myself  into  her  arms,  but  she  stopped 
me  with  one  glance  of  her  cold,  official  eye 
that  quelled  me,  and  stood  attention  before 
Aunt  Augusta. 

"  Madam  PresHdent,"  she  said  in  her 
grandest  parliamentary  voice,  "  it  was  by  ac- 
204 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

cident  that  I  interrupted  the  proceedings  of 
what  I  take  to  be  an  official  meeting.  Have 
I  your  permission  to  withdraw  ?  I  am  Miss 
Shelby's  guest,  Miss  Mathers,  and  I  can 
easily  await  her  greetings  until  the  adjourn 
ment  of  this  body." 

Oh,  Jane,  and  my  arms  just  hungry  for 
you! 

"  Madam,"  answered  Aunt  Augusta,  in 
her  grandest  manner  and  a  voice  so  filled 
with  cordiality  that  I  hardly  knew  it,  "  it  is 
the  pleasure  of  the  chair  to  interrupt  pro 
ceedings  and  to  welcome  you.  Evelina,  in 
troduce  us  all !  " 

It  was  all  just  glorious !  I  never  saw  any 
body  get  a  more  lovely  ovation  than  Jane 
did  from  my  friends,  for  they  had  all  heard 
about  her,  read  with  awe  clippings  I  showed 
them  about  her  speeches  and  —  were  about 
ready  for  her. 

Sallie  kissed  her  on  both  cheeks,  Mamie 
laid  the  baby  in  her  arms  with  a  devout  ex 
pression,  and  Nell  clung  to  her  with  the 
205 


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rapture  of  the  newly  proselyted  in  her  face. 
Aunt  Martha  made  her  welcome  in  her  dear 
est  manner  and  Caroline  beamed  on  her 
with  the  return  of  a  lot  of  the  fire  and  spirit 
of  the  youth  that  hanging  on  the  doled-out 
affections  of  Lee  Greenfield  had  starved  in 
her. 

And  it  was  characteristic  of  Jane  and  her 
methods  that  it  took  much  less  time  than  it 
takes  me  to  write  it,  for  her  to  get  all  the 
greetings  over  with,  explain  that  she  had 
sent  me  a  letter  telling  me  that  she  was  com 
ing  that  must  have  gone  astray,  get  every 
body  named  and  ticketed  in  her  mind,  and 
get  us  all  back  to  business. 

Aunt  Augusta  explained  the  situation  to 
her  with  so  much  feeling  and  eloquence  that 
she  swept  us  all  off  our  feet,  and  when  she 
was  ready  to  put  the  question  again  to  us 
as  to  our  willingness  to  embark  on  our  de 
fiance  of  our  fellow-townsmen,  the  answer 
of  enthusiastic  acquiescence  was  ready  for 
her. 

206 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

"Of  course,  as  none  of  you  have  any 
official  municipal  status,  the  invitation  will 
have  to  be  given  informally,  in  a  social  way, 
to  the  Commission  through  Miss  Shelby's 
friend,  Mr.  Richard  Hall,"  said  Jane,  when 
Aunt  Augusta  had  called  on  her  to  give  us 
her  opinion  of  the  situation  in  general  and 
the  mode  of  procedure.  "  We  find  it  best 
in  all  women-questions  of  the  present,  to  do 
things  in  a  perfectly  legal  and  parliamentary 
way." 

"  Must  we  tell  them  about  it  or  not  ?  " 
asked  Mamie,  in  a  wavering  voice,  looking 
up  devoutly  at  Jane,  who  had  held  young 
Ned  against  the  stiff  white  linen  shirt  of 
her  traveling  dress  just  as  comfortably  as 
if  he  were  her  own  seventh. 

"  Did  they  consult  you  before  deciding  to 
refuse  your  suggestion?"  asked  Jane, 
calmly  and  thoughtfully. 

"  They  did  not,"  trumpeted  Aunt  Au 
gusta. 

"  Then  would  n't  it  be  the  most  regular 
207 


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way  to  proceed  to  get  an  acceptance  of  the 
invitation  from  the  Commission  and  then 
extend  them  one  to  be  present  ?  "  pronounced 
Jane,  coolly,  seemingly  totally  unconscious 
that  she  was  exploding  a  bomb  shell. 

"  It  would,  and  we  will  consider  it  so 
settled,"  answered  Aunt  Augusta,  dominat- 
ingly. 

This  quick  and  revolutionary  decision 
gave  me  a  shock.  I  could  see  that  a  woman 
does  n't  like  to  feel  that  there  is  a  stick  of 
dynamite  between  her  and  a  man,  when  she 
puts  her  head  down  under  his  chin  or  her 
cheek  to  his,  but  advanced  women  must  suf 
fer  that.  Still  I  'm  glad  that  the  Crag  is  on 
our  side  of  the  fence.  I  felt  sorry  for 
Mamie  and  Caroline  —  and  Sallie  looked  a 
tragedy. 

In  fact,  a  shade  of  depression  was  about 
to  steal  over  the  spirits  of  the  meeting  when 
Aunt  Augusta  luckily  called  for  the  discus 
sion  of  plans  for  the  rally. 

Feeding  other  human  beings  is  the  nat- 
208 


SOME  SMOLDERINGS 

ural,  instituted,  physiological,  pathological, 
metaphysical,  and  spiritual  outlet  for  a 
woman's  nature,  and  that  is  why  she  is  so 
happy  when  she  gets  out  her  family  receipt 
book  for  a  called  rehearsal  for  the  function 
ing  of  her  hospitality.  The  revolution  went 
home  happy  and  excited  over  the  martialing 
of  their  flesh  pots. 

I  'm  glad  Jane  is  asleep  across  the 
hall  to-night.  If  I  had  had  to  shoulder  all 
this  outbreak  by  myself  I  would  have  com 
promised  by  instituting  a  campaign  of 
wheedling,  the  like  of  which  this  town  never 
suffered  before,  and  then  when  this  glorious 
rally  was  finally  pulled  off,  the  cajoled  mas 
culine  population  would  have  fairly  swelled 
with  pride  over  having  done  it ! 

Of  course,  by  every  known  test  of  con 
duct  and  economics,  their  attitude  in  the  mat 
ter  is  entirely  right.  Men  work  to  all  given 
points  in  straight,  clear-cut,  logical  lines  only 
to  find  women  at  the  point  of  results  waiting 
for  them,  with  unforeseen  culminations, 
209 


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which  would  have  been  impossible  to  them. 
And  I  am  also  glad  the  Crag  is  partly  re 
sponsible  for  starting,  or  at  least  uncon 
sciously  aiding,  this  scheme  in  high  finance 
of  mine;  and  he  is  also  in  reality  the  silent 
sponsor  for  this  unhatched  revolution.  I 
am  deeply  contented  to  go  to  sleep  with  that 
comforting  thought  tucked  under  my  pillow. 


210 


CHAPTER  VIII 

AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

I'VE  changed  my  mind  about  a  woman's 
being  like  a  whirlwind.  The  women  of 
now  are  the  attained  to-morrow  that  the 
world  since  the  beginning  has  been  trying 
to  catch  up  with.  Jane  is  that,  and  then  the 
day  after,  too,  and  what  she  has  done  to 
Glendale  in  these  two  weeks  has  stunned 
the  old  town  into  a  trance  of  delight  and 
amazement.  She  has  recreated  us,  breathed 
the  breath  of  modernity  into  us,  and  started 
the  machine  up  the  grade  of  civilization  at 
a  pace  that  makes  me  hold  my  breath  for 
fear  of  something  jolting  us. 

She  and  Aunt  Augusta  have  organized  an 
Equality  League,  and  that  wheel  came  very 

211 


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near  flying  loose  and  being  the  finish  of 
Uncle  Peter. 

He  came  to  see  me  the  morning  of  the 
first  meeting  and,  when  I  saw  him  coming 
up  the  front  walk,  I  got  an  astral  vision  of 
the  chips  on  his  shoulder  enlarged  to  twice 
their  natural  size,  and  called  to  Jasper  to 
mix  the  juleps  very  long  and  extra  deep. 
But  deep  as  they  were,  to  the  very  top  of 
the  longest  glasses,  he  could  n't  drown  his 
wrath  in  his. 

"  Women,  women,"  he  exploded  from 
over  the  very  mint  sprig  itself,  "  all  fools, 
all  fools  from  the  beginning  of  time;  made 
that  way  on  purpose  —  on  purpose  —  hey  ? 
World  needs  some  sort  of  creature  with  no 
better  sense  than  to  want  to  spend  their  lives 
fooling  with  babies  and  the  bread  of  life. 
Human  young  and  religion  are  the  only 
things  in  the  world  men  can't  attend  to  for 
themselves  and  that 's  what  they  need  women 
for.  Women  with  no  brains  —  but  all 
heart  —  all  heart  —  hey  ?  " 

212 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

"  Why  should  just  a  little  brain  hurt  their 
heart-action,  Uncle  Peter  ?  "  I  asked  mildly. 
There  is  nothing  in  the  world  that  I  ever 
met  that  I  enjoy  any  more  than  one  of 
Uncle  Peter's  rages,  and  I  always  try  to  be 
meekly  inflammatory. 

"  They  're  never  satisfied  with  using  them 
to  run  church  societies  and  children's  in 
ternal  organs,  but  they  want  to  use  'em  on 
men  and  civilization  in  general.  Where  'd 
you  get  that  Yankee  school-marm  —  hey? 
Why  don't  she  get  a  husband  and  a  baby 
and  settle  down?  Ten  babies,  twenty 
babies  if  necessary  —  hey?" 

"  You  are  entirely  mistaken  as  to  the  plans 
that  Jane  and  Aunt  Augusta  have  for  the 
League  they  are  forming  this  morning,  Un 
cle  Peter,"  I  began  to  say  with  delight  as 
to  what  was  likely  to  ensue.  "If  you  would 
only  listen  to  Jane  while  she  —  " 

"  Don't  want  to  hear  a  word  she  has  to 
say !     All  '  as  the  crackling  of  thorns  under 
a  pot '  —  all  the  talk  of  fools." 
213 


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"  But  surely  you  are  not  afraid  to  listen 
to  her,  Uncle  Peter,"  I  dared  to  say,  and 
then  stood  away. 

"  Afraid,  afraid  —  never  was  afraid  of 
anybody  in  my  life,  Augusta  not  excepted !  " 
he  exclaimed,  as  he  rose  in  his  wrath. 
"  The  men  of  this  town  will  show  the  upris 
ing  hussies  what  we  think  of  'em,  and  put 
'em  back  to  the  heels  of  men,  where  they  be 
long  —  belong  —  hey  ?  " 

And  before  I  could  remonstrate  with  him 
he  was  marching  down  the  street  like  a 
whole  regiment  out  on  a  charge  that  was  to 
be  one  of  extermination,  or  complete  sur 
render. 

The  Crag  told  me  that  evening  that  the 
Mayor's  office  of  Glendale  had  reeked  of 
brimstone,  for  hours,  and  the  next  Sunday 
Aunt  Augusta  sat  in  their  pew  at  church, 
militantly  alone,  while  he  occupied  a  seat 
in  the  farthest  limits  of  the  amen  corner, 
with  equal  militancy. 

But  Uncle  Peter's  attitude  during  the  time 
214 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

of  Jane's  campaign  for  general  Equality 
in  Glendale  was  pathetically  like  that  of  an 
old  log,  that  has  been  drifting  comfortably 
down  the  stream  of  life  with  the  tide  that 
bore  its  comrades,  and  suddenly  got  its  end 
stuck  in  the  mud  so  that  it  was  forced  to 
stem  alone  the  very  tide  it  had  been  floating 
on. 

Jane  did  n't  throw  any  rocks  at  anybody's 
opinions  or  break  the  windows  of  anybody's 
prejudices.  She  had  the  most  lovely  heart 
to  heart  talks  writh  the  women  separately, 
collectively,  and  in  both  small  and  large 
bunches.  I  .had  them  in  to  tea  in  the  com 
binations  that  she  wanted  them,  and  I  must 
say  that  she  was  the  loveliest  thing  with 
them  that  could  be  imagined.  She  was  just 
her  stiff,  ugly  self,  starchily  clad  in  the  most 
beautifully  tailored  white  linen,  and  they  all 
went  mad  about  her.  The  Pup  and  the  Kit 
clutched  at  her  skirts  until  anybody  else 
would  have  been  a  mass  of  wrinkles,  and  the 
left  breast  of  her  linen  blouse  did  always 
215 


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bear  a  slight  impress  of  little  Ned's  head. 
The  congeniality  of  Jane  and  that  baby  was 
a  revelation  to  me  and  his  colic  ceased  after 
the  first  time  she  kneaded  it  out  of  his  fat 
little  stomach  with  her  long,  slim,  powerful 
hands  according  to  a  first-aid  method  she 
had  learned  in  her  settlement  work,  with 
Mamie  looking  on  in  fear  and  adoration. 
It  may  have  been  bloodless  surgery  but  I 
suspect  it  of  being  partly  hypnotism,  because 
the  same  sort  of  surgery  was  used  on  the 
minds  of  all  my  women  friends  and  with  a 
like  result. 

The  subject  of  the  rally  was  a  fine  one 
for  everybody  to  get  together  on  from  the 
start  and,  before  any  of  them  realized  that 
they  were  doing  anything  but  plan  out  the 
details  of  a  big  spread,  the  like  of  which 
they  had  been  doing  for  hospitable  genera 
tions,  for  the  railroad  Commission,  they 
were  organized  into  a  flourishing  Equality 
League,  with  officers  and  by-laws  and  a 
sinking  fund  in  the  treasury. 
216 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

"  Now,  Evelina,"  said  Jane,  as  she  sat  on 
the  edge  of  my  bed  braiding  her  heavy,  sleek, 
black  braid  that  is  as  big  as  my  wrist  and 
that  she  declares  is  her  one  beauty,  though 
she  ought  to  know  that  her  straight,  strong 
figure,  ruddy  complexion,  aroma  of  strength 
and  keen,  near-sighted  eyes  are  —  well,  if 
not  beauties,  something  very  winning,  "  we 
must  not  allow  the  men  time  to  get  sore  over 
this  matter  of  the  League.  We  must  make 
them  feel  immediately  that  they  are  needed 
and  wanted  intensely  in  the  movement. 
They  must  be  asked  to  take  their  place, 
shoulder  to  shoulder,  with  us  in  this  fight 
for  better  conditions,  for  the  world  and 
mankind  in  general.  True  to  our  theory  we 
must  offer  them  our  comradely  affection  and 
openly  and  honestly  express  our  need  of 
them  iri  our  lives  and  in  our  activities.  I 
was  talking  to  Mrs.  Carruthers  and  Nell  and 
Mrs.  Hall  and  Caroline,  as  well  as  your 
Cousin  Martha,  about  it  this  afternoon  and 
they  all  agreed  with  me  that  the  men  would 
217 


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have  cause  to  be  aggrieved  at  us  about  seem 
ing  thus  to  be  organizing  a  life  for  ourselves 
apart  from  theirs,  with  no  place  in  it  pro 
vided  for  them.  Mrs.  Carruthers  said  that 
she  had  felt  that  the  Reverend  Mr.  Haley 
had  been  deeply  hurt  already  at  not  being 
•asked  to  open  any  of  the  meetings  with 
prayer,  and  she  volunteered  to  talk  to  him 
and  express  for  herself  and  us  our  need  of 
him." 

"  That  will  be  easy  for  Sallie,  for  she  has 
been  expressing  need  of  people  in  her  life 
as  long  as  she  has  been  living  it,"  I  an 
swered  with  a  good-natured  laugh,  though 
I  would  have  liked  to  have  that  interview 
with  the  Dominie  myself.  He  is  so  enthu 
siastic  that  I  like  to  bask  in  him  once  in  a 
while. 

"  I  asked  young  Mr.  Hayes  to  take  me 
fishing  with  him  to-morrow  in  order  to  have 
a  whole  quiet  day  with  him  alone  so  that 
we  could  get  closely  in  touch  with  each  other. 
I  have  had  very  little  opportunity  to  talk  with 
218 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

him,  but  I  have  felt  his  sympathy  in  several 
interested  glances  we  have  exchanged  with 
each  other.  I  am  looking  forward  to  the 
establishment  of  a  perfect  friendship  with 
him." 

I  told  myself  that  I  was  mistaken  in  think 
ing  that  the  expression  in  Jane's  eyes  was 
softened  to  the  verge  of  dreaminess  and 
my  inmost  soul  shouted  at  the  idea  of 
Jane  and  Polk  and  their  day  alone  in  the 
woods. 

Since  that  night  that  Polk  humiliated  me 
as  completely  as  a  man  can  humiliate  a 
woman,  he  has  looked  at  me  like  a  whipped 
child,  and  I  have  n't  looked  at  him  at  all. 
I  have  used  Jane  as  a  wide-spread  fan  be 
hind  which  to  hide  from  him.  How  was  I 
to  know  what  was  going  on  on  the  other 
side  of  the  fan? 

It  is  a  relief  to  realize  that  in  the  world 

there  are  at  least  a  few  women  like  Jane 

that  don't  have  to  be  protected  from  Polk 

and  his  kind.     Jane  is  one  of  the  hunted 

219 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

that  has  turned  and  has  come  back  to  meet 
the  pursuer  with  outstretched  and  disarm 
ing  hand.  This,  I  suspect,  is  to  be  about 
her  first  real  tussle ;  skoal  to  the  victor ! 

"  I  advised  your  Aunt  Augusta  to  ask  y©u 
to  talk  again  to  your  Uncle  Peter,  and  Nell 
is  to  seek  an  interview  with  Mr.  Hardin  at 
her  earliest  opportunity,  though  I  think  the 
only  result  will  be  instruction  and  uplift  for 
Nell,  as  a  more  illumined  thing  I  never  had 
said  to  me  on  the  subject  of  the  relation  of 
men  and  women  than  the  one  he  uttered  to 
me  last  night,  as  he  said  good-by  to  me  out 
on  the  porch  in  that  glorious  moonlight  that 
seems  brighter  here  in  Glendale  than  I  have 
ever  seen  it  out  in  the  world  anywhere 
else." 

"What  did  he  say?"  I  asked  perfectly 
naturally,  though  a  double-bladed  pain  was 
twisted  around  in  my  solar  plexus  as  the 
vision  of  Jane's  last  night  interview  in  the 
moonlight  with  the  Crag,  and  Nell's  soon- 
to-be-one,  hit  me  broadside  at  the  same  time. 
220 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

I  have  n't  had  one  by  myself  with  him  for  a 
week. 

"  Why,  of  course,  women  are  the  breath 
that  men  draw  into  their  lungs  of  life  to 
supply  eternal  combustion,"  was  what  he 
said  when  I  asked  him  point-blank  what  he 
thought  of  the  League.  "  Only  let  us 
breathe  slowly  as  we  ascend  to  still  greater 
elevations  with  their  consequent  rarefied  air," 
he  added,  with  the  most  heavenly  thought- 
fulness  in  his  fine  face.  Did  it  ever  occur 
to  you,  Evelina,  that  your  Cousin  James  is 
really  a  radiantly  beautiful  man?  How 
could  you  be  so  mistaken,  as  to  both  him  and 
his  personal  appearance,  as  to  apply  such  a 
name  as  Crag  to  him?  " 

Glendale  is  going  to  Jane's  head ! 

"  Don't  you  think  he  looks  scraggy  in  that 
long-tailed  coat,  shocks  of  taggy  hair  and  a 
collar  big  enough  to  fit  Old  Harpeth  ?  "  I 
asked  deceitfully. 

Why  should  n't  I  tell  Jane  what  I  really 
thought  of  Cousin  James  and  discuss  him 
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broadly  and  frankly?  I  don't  know! 
Lately  I  don't  want  to  think  about  him  or 
have  anybody  mention  him  in  my  presence. 
I  've  got  a  consciousness  of  him  way  off  in 
a  corner  of  me  somewhere  and  I  'm  just 
brooding  over  it.  Everybody  in  town  has 
been  in  this  house  since  Jane  has  been  here, 
all  the  time,  and  I  have  n't  seen  him  alone 
for  ages  it  seems.  Maybe  that 's  why  I  have 
had  to  make  a  desert  island  inside  myself 
to  take  him  to. 

"  And  I  have  been  thinking  since  you  told 
me  of  the  situation  in  which  he  and  Mrs. 
Carruthers  have  been  placed  by  this  finan 
cial  catastrophe,  how  wonderful  it  will  be  if 
love  really  does  come  to  them,  when  her 
grief  is  healed  by  time.  He  will  rear  her  in 
teresting  children  into  women  that  will  be 
invaluable  to  the  commonwealth,"  Jane  con 
tinued  as  she  tied  a  blue  bow  on  the  end  of 
her  long  black  plait. 

"  Do  you  think  that  there  —  there  are 
any  signs  of  —  of  such  a  thing  yet?"  I 
222 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

asked  with  pitiful  weakness  as  I  wilted  down 
into  my  pillow. 

"  Just  a  bit  in  his  manner  to  her,  though 
I  may  be  influenced  in  my  judgment  by  the 
evident  suitability  of  such  a  solution  of  the 
situation,"  she  answered  as  she  settled  her 
self  back  against  one  of  the  posts  of  my 
high  old  bed  and  looked  me  clean  through 
and  through,  even  unto  the  shores  of  that 
desert  island  itself. 

"  I  hope  you  have  been  noting  these  dif 
ferent  emotional  situations  and  reactions 
among  your  friends  carefully  in  your  record, 
Evelina,"  she  continued  in  an  interested  and 
biological  tone  of  voice  and  expression  of 
eye.  "  In  a  small  community  like  this  it  is 
much  easier  to  get  at  the  real  underlying 
motive  of  such  things  than  it  is  in  a  more 
complicated  civilization.  I  have  seen  you 
transcribing  notes  into  our  book.  Since  I 
have  come  to  Glendale  I  am  more  firmly  de 
termined  than  ever  that  the  attitude  of  emo 
tional  equality  that  we  determined  upon  in 
223 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

the  spring  is  the  true  solution  of  most  of  the 
complicated  man-and-woman  problems.  I 
am  anxious  to  see  it  tried  out  in  five  other 
different  communities  that  we  will  select. 
I  would  not  seem  to  be  indelicate,  dear,  but 
I  do  not  see  any  signs  of  your  having  been 
especially  drawn  emotionally  towards  any  of 
your  friends,  though  your  attitude  of  sisterly 
comradeship  and  frankness  with  them  is 
more  beautiful  than  I  thought  it  was  possible 
for  such  a  thing  to  be.  You  are  not  being 
tempted  to  shirk  any  of  your  duties  of 
womanhood  because  of  your  interest  in  your 
art,  are  you?  I  will  confess  to  you  that  the 
thing  that  brought  me  down  upon  you  was 
your  news  of  this  commission  for  the  series 
of  station-gardens.  I  think  you  will  proba 
bly  work  better  after  this  side  of  your  nature 
is  at  rest.  Of  course,  a  union  with  Mr. 
Hall  would  be  ideal  for  you.  You  must 
consider  it  seriously." 

The  "  must "  in  Jane's  voice  sounded  ex 
actly  like  that  "  must  "  looked  in  Richard's 
224 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

telegram,  which  has  been  enforced  with 
others  just  as  emphatic  ever  since. 

There  are  some  men  who  are  big  enough 
to  take  a  woman  with  a  wound  in  her  heart 
and  heal  both  it  and  her  by  their  love.  Rich 
ard  is  one  of  that  kind.  What  could  any 
woman  want  more  than  her  work  and  a  man 
like  that? 

After  Jane  had  laid  her  strong-minded 
head  on  the  hard  pillow,  that  I  had  had  to 
have  concocted  out  of  bats  of  cotton  for  her, 
I  laid  my  face  against  my  own  made  of  the 
soft  breast  feathers  of  a  white  flock  of  hov 
ering  hen-mothers  and  wept  on  their  soft 
ness. 

A  light  was  burning  down  in  the  lodge 
at  the  gate  of  Widegables.  He  has  n't  gone 
back  to  his  room  to  sleep,  even  when  I  have 
Jane's  strong-mindedness  in  the  house  with 
me.  I  remember  that  I  gave  my  word  of 
honor  to  myself  that  I  would  n't  try  any  of 
my  modern  emotional  experiments  on  him 
the  first  night  I  slept  in  this  house  alone, 
225 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

with  only  him  over  there  to  keep  me  from 
dying  with  primitive  woman  fright.  I  shall 
keep  my  word  to  myself  and  propose  to 
Richard  if  my  contract  with  Jane  and  the 
Five  seems  to  call  for  it.  In  the  meantime 
if  I  choose  to  cry  myself  to  sleep  it  is  no 
body's  business. 

I  wonder  if  a  mist  rises  up  to  Heaven  ev 
ery  night  from  all  the  woman-tears  in  all 
the  world,  and  if  God  sees  it,  as  it  clings 
damp  around  the  hem  of  His  garment,  and 
smiles  with  such  warm  understanding  that 
it  vanishes  in  a  soft  glow  of  sleep  that  He 
sends  down  to  us ! 

Jane  has  arisen  early  several  mornings  and 
spent  an  hour  before  breakfast  composing 
a  masterly  and  Machiavellian  letter  of  in 
vitation  from  the  Equality  League  to  the 
inhabitants  of  Glendale  and  the  surrounding 
country-side  to  and  beyond  Bolivar  to  attend 
the  rally  given  by  them  in  honor  of  the  C. 
&  G.  Railroad  Commission  on  Tuesday  next. 
It  is  to  come  out  to-day  in  the  weekly  papers 
226 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

of  Glendale,  Bolivar,  Hillsboro,  and  Provi 
dence,  and  I  hope  there  will  not  be  so  many 
cases  of  heart- failure  from  rage  that  the 
gloom  of  many  funerals  will  put  out  the 
light. of  the  rally.  I  hope  no  man  will  beat 
any  woman  in  the  Harpeth  Valley  for  it, 
and  if  he  does,  I  hope  he  will  do  it  so  neither 
Jane  nor  I  will  hear  of  it. 

It  was  Aunt  Augusta  who  thought  up  the 
insulting  and  incendiary  plan  of  having  the 
rally  as  an  offering  of  hospitality  from  the 
League,  and  I  hope  if  Uncle  Peter  is  going 
to  die  over  it  he  will  not  have  the  final  ex 
plosion  in  my  presence. 

Privately  I  spent  a  dollar  and  a  half  send 
ing  a  night-letter  to  Richard  all  about  it  and 
asking  him  if  the  Commissioners  would  be 
willing  to  stand  for  this  feminist  plank  in 
the  barbecue  deal.  He  had  sent  me  the 
nicest  letter  of  acceptance  from  the  Board 
when  I  had  written  the  invitation  to  them 
through  him,  as  coming  from  the  perfectly 
ladylike  feminine  population  of  Glendale, 
227 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

and  I  did  n't  like  to  get  them  into  a  woman- 
whirlwind  without  their  own  consent.  I 
paid  the  boy  at  the  telegraph  office  five  dol 
lars  not  to  talk  about  the  matter  to  a  human 
soul,  and  threatened  to  have  him  dismissed 
if  he  did,  so  the  bomb-shell  was  kept  in  un 
til  this  afternoon. 

Richard  replied  to  the  telegram  with  char 
acteristic  directness : 

Delighted  to  be  in  at  the  fight.  Seven  of 
us  rabid  suffragists,  two  on  the  fence,  and  a 
half  roast  pig  will  convert  the  other.  Found 
no  answer  to  my  question  in  letter  of  last 
Tuesday.  Must ! 

RICHARD. 

It  was  nice  of  Jane  to  write  out  and  get 
ready  her  bomb-shell  and  then  go  off  with 
Polk,  so  as  not  to  see  it  explode.  But  I  'm 
glad  she  did.  However,  I  did  advise  her  to 
take  a  copy  of  it  along  with  the  reels  and  the 
lunch-basket  to  read  to  him,  as  a  starter  of 
228 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

their  day  to  be  devoted  to  the  establishment 
of  a  perfect  friendship  between  them. 

Polk  did  n't  look  at  me  even  once  as  I 
helped  pack  them  and  their  traps  into  his 
Hupp,  but  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  not 
arrayed  like  Polk  in  his  white  flannels,  and 
he  and  Jane  made  a  picture  of  perfectly 
blended  tailored  smartness  as  they  got  ready 
for  the  break-away. 

There  are  some  men  that  acquire  femi 
nine  obligations  as  rough  cheviot  does  lint 
and  Henrietta  is  one  of  Folk's  when  it 
comes  to  the  fishing  days.  He  takes  her  so 
often  that  she  thinks  she  owns  him  and  all 
the  trout  in  Little  Harpeth,  and  she  landed 
in  the  midst  of  the  picnic  with  her  righting 
clothes  on. 

"  Where  are  you  and  her  going  at, —  fish 
ing?"  she  asked  in  a  calmly  controlled  voice 
that  both  of  them  had  heard  before,  and 
which  made  us  quail  in  our  boots  and  meta 
phorically  duck  our  heads. 

"Yes,  we  —  er  thought  we  would,"  he 
229 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

answered  with  an  uncertainty  of  voice  and 
manner  that  bespoke  abject  fear. 

"  I  '11  be  d if  you  shall,"  came  the  ex 
plosion,  hot  and  loud.  "  I  want  to  go  fish 
ing  with  you,  Polk,  my  own  self,  and  she 
ain't  no  good  for  nothing  any  way.  You 
can't  take  her !  " 

"  Henrietta !  "  I  both  beseeched  and  com 
manded  in  one  breath. 

"  No,  she  ain't  no  good  at  all,"  was  reiter 
ated  in  the  stormy  young  voice  as  Henrietta 
caught  hold  of  the  nose  of  the  panting  Hupp 
and  stood  directly  in  the  path  of  destruc 
tion,  if  Polk  had  turned  the  driving  wheel  a 
hair's  breadth.  "  Uncle  Peter  says  that  she 
is  er  going  to  turn  the  devil  loose  in  Glen- 
dale,  so  they  won't  be  no  more  whisky  and 
no  more  babies  borned  and  men  will  get  they 
noses  rubbed  in  their  plates,  if  they  don't  eat 
the  awful  truck  she  is  er  going  to  teach  the 
women  to  cook  for  their  husbands.  An' 
the  men  won't  marry  no  more  then  at  all, 
and  I  '11  have  to  be  a  old  maid  like  her." 
230 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

Now,  why  did  I  write  weeks  ago  that  I 
would  like  to  witness  an  encounter  between 
Jane  and  Henrietta !  I  did  n't  mean  it,  but 
I  got  it ! 

Without  ruffling  a  hair  or  changing  color 
Jane  stepped  out  of  the  Hupp  and  faced  the 
foe.  Henrietta  is  a  tiny  scrap  of  a  woman, 
intense  in  a  wild,  beautiful,  almost  hunted 
kind  of  way,  and  she  is  so  thin  that  it 
makes  my  heart  ache.  She  is  being  fairly 
crushed  with  the  beautiful  depending  weight 
of  her  mother  and  the  responsibility  of  the 
twins,  and  somehow  she  is  most  pathetic. 
I  made  a  motion  to  step  between  her  and 
Jane,  but  one  look  in  Jane's  face  stopped 
me. 

"  Dear,"  she  said,  in  her  rich,  throaty, 
strong  voice  as  she  looked  pleadingly  at  the 
militant  midget  facing  her.  Suddenly  I  was 
that  lonesome,  homesick  freshman  by  the 
waters  of  Lake  Waban,  with  Jane's  awk 
ward  young  arm  around  me,  and  I  stood 
aside  to  let  Henrietta  come  into  her  herit- 
231 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

age  of  Jane.  "  Don't  you  want  to  come 
with  us?"  was  the  soft  question  that  fol 
lowed  the  commanding  word  of  endear 
ment. 

"  No ! "  was  the  short,  but  slightly  molli 
fied  answer  as  Henrietta  dug  her  toes  into 
the  dust  and  began  to  look  fascinated. 

"  I  'm  glad  you  don't  want  to  come,  be 
cause  I  've  got  some  very  important  business 
to  ask  you  to  attend  to  for  me,"  answered 
Jane,  in  the  brisk  tone  of  voice  she  uses  in 
doing  business  with  women,  and  which  inter 
ests  them  intensely  by  its  very  novelty  and 
flatters  them  by  seeming  to  endow  them  with 
a  kind  of  brain  they  did  n't  know  they  pos 
sessed.  "  I  want  you  to  go  upstairs  and  get 
my  pocketbook.  Be  careful,  for  there  is 
over  a  hundred  dollars  in  the  roll  of  bills  — 
Evelina  will  give  you  the  key  to  the  desk  — 
and  go  down  to  the  drug  store  where  they 
keep  nice  little  clocks  and  buy  me  the  best  one 
they  have.  Then  please  you  wind  it  up 
yourself  and  watch  it  all  day  to  see  if  it 
232 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

keeps  time  with  the  clock  in  your  hall,  and  if 
it  varies  more  than  one  minute,  take  it  back 
and  get  another.  While  you  are  in  the  drug 
store,  if  you  have  time,  won't  you  please  se 
lect  me  a  new  tooth-brush  and  some  nice 
kind  of  paste  that  you  think  is  good  ?  Make 
them  show  you  all  they  have.  Pay  for  it 
out  of  one  of  the  bills." 

"  Want  any  good,  smelly  soap  ?  "  I  came 
out  of  my  trance  of  absolute  admiration  to 
hear  Henrietta  ask  in  the  capable  voice  of  a 
secretary  to  a  millionaire.  Her  thin  little 
face  was  flushed  with  excitement  and  im 
portance,  and  she  edged  two  feet  nearer  the 
charmer. 

"  It  would  be  a  good  thing  to  get  about  a 
half  dozen  cakes,  wouldn't  it?"  answered 
Jane,  with  slight  uncertainty  in  her  voice  as 
if  leaving  the  decision  of  the  matter  partly 
to  Henrietta. 

"  Yes,  I  believe  I  would,"  Henrietta  de 
cided  judicially.  "  The  *  New  Mown  Hay  ' 
is  what  Jasper  got  for  Petunia  because  he 
233 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

hit  her  too  hard  last  week  and  swelled  her 
eye.  They  is  a  perfumery  that  goes  with  it 
at  one  quarter  a  bottle.  That  makes  it  all 
cheaper." 

"  Exactly  the  thing,  and  we  must  n't 
spend  money  unnecessarily,"  Jane  agreed. 
"  But  I  don't  want  to  trespass  on  your  time, 
Henrietta,  dear,"  she  added  with  the  defer 
ence  she  would  have  used  in  speaking  to  the 
President  of  the  Nation  League  or  the 
founder  of  Hull  House. 

"  No,  ma'am,  I  'm  glad  to  do  it,  and  I  '11 
go  quick  'fore  it  gets  any  later  in  the  day 
for  me  to  watch  the  clock,"  answered  Hen 
rietta  in  stately  tones  that  were  very  like 
Jane's  and  which  I  had  never  heard  her  em 
ploy  before. 

And  before  any  of  the  three  of  us  got  our 
breath  her  bare  little  feet  were  flashing  up 
my  front  walk. 

"Help!"  exclaimed  Polk  as  he  leaned 
back  from  his  wheel  and  fanned  himself 
with  his  hat.  "  Do  you  use  the  same  meth- 
234 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

ods  with  grown  beasts  that  you  do  with 
cubs?  "  he  added  weakly. 

"  It 's  the  same  she  has  always  used  on 
me,  only  this  is  more  dramatic.  Beware !  " 
I  said  with  a  laugh  as  I  insisted  on  just  one 
squeeze  of  Jane's  white  linen  arm  as  she 
was  climbing  back  into  the  car. 

"  That 's  a  remarkably  fine  child  and  she 
should  have  good,  dependable,  business-like 
habits  put  in  the  place  of  faulty  and  useless 
ones.  Her  profanity  will  make  no  differ 
ence  for  the  present  and  can  be  easily  cor 
rected.  Don't  interfere  with  her  attending 
to  my  commissions,  Evelina.  Let 's  start, 
Mr.  Hayes."  And  Jane  settled  herself 
calmly  for  the  spin  out  Providence  Road. 

"  All  the  hundred  dollars  all  by  herself, 
Jane  ?  "  I  called  after  them. 

"  Yes,"  floated  back  positively  in  the  wake 
of  the  Hupp. 

For  several  hours  I  attended  to  the  busi 
ness  of  my  life  in  a  haze  of  meditation.  If 
Henrietta  ticks  off  the  same  number  of  min- 
235 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

utes  on  the  woman-clock  from  Jane's  stand 
point,  that  Jane  has  marked  off  from  her 
own  mother's,  high  noon  is  going  to  strike 
before  we  are  ready  for  it. 

But  it  was  only  an  hour  or  two  of  high- 
minded  communing  with  the  future  that  I 
got  the  time  for,  before  I  was  involved  in 
the  whirl  of  dust  that  swirled  around  the 
storm  center,  to  darken  and  throw  a  shadow 
over  Glendale  about  the  time  of  the  publi 
cation  of  the  Glendale  News,  which  occurs 
every  Thursday  near  the  hour  of  noon,  so 
that  all  the  subscribers  can  take  that  enter 
prising  sheet  home  to  consume  while  waiting 
for  dinner,  and  can  leave  it  for  the  women 
of  their  families  to  enjoy  in  the  afternoon. 

I  suspect  that  the  digestion  of  Jane's 
Equality  rally  invitation  interfered  with  the 
digestion  of  much  fried  chicken,  corn,  and 
sweet  potatoes,  under  the  roof-trees  of  the 
town  and  I  spent  the  afternoon  in  hearing 
results  and  keeping  up  the  spirits  of  the  in 
surgents. 

236 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

Caroline  came  in  with  her  head  so  high 
that  she  had  difficulty  in  seeing  over  her 
very  slender  and  aristocratic  nose,  with  a 
note  from  Lee  Greenfield  which  had  just 
come  to  her,  asking  her  to  go  with  him  in  his 
car  over  to  Hillsboro  to  spend  the  day  with 
Tom  Pollard's  wife,  a  visit  he  knows  she 
has  been  dying  to  make  for  two  months,  for 
she  was  one  of  Pet's  bridesmaids.  He 
made  casual  and  dastardly  mention  that  there 
would  be  a  moon  to  come  home  by,  but  ig 
nored  completely  the  fact  that  Tuesday  was 
the  day  on  which  he  'had  been  invited  by  the 
League,  of  which  he  knew  she  was  a  mem 
ber,  to  meet  and  rally  around  the  C.  &  G. 
Commission. 

I  helped  her  compose  the  answer,  and  I 
must  say  we  hit  Lee  only  in  high  spots.  I 
could  see  she  was  scared  to  death,  and  so 
was  I,  but  her  dander  was  up,  and  I  backed 
mine  up  along  side  it  for  the  purpose  of 
support.  Besides  I  feel  in  my  heart  that 
that  note  will  dynamite  the  rocky  old  situa- 
237 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

tion  between  them  into  something  more 
easily  handled. 

She  had  just  gone  to  dispatch  the  missive 
by  their  negro  gardener  when  Mamie  and 
Sallie  came  clucking  in.  Mamie's  face  was 
pink  and  high-spirited,  but  Sallie  was  in  one 
complete  slump  of  mind  and  body. 

"  Mr.  Haley  has  just  stopped  by  to  say 
that  he  thinks  no  price  is  too  great  to  pay 
for  peace,  and  fellowship,  and  good-will  in 
a  community,"  she  said,  as  she  dropped  into 
a  rocker  and  looked  pensively  after  the  re 
treating  figure  of  the  handsome  young  Do 
minie,  who  had  accompanied  them  to  the  gate 
but  wisely  no  farther.  He  did  n't  know  that 
Jane  had  gone  with  Polk. 

"  And  women  to  pay  the  price,"  answered 
Mamie,  spiritedly.  "  I  have  just  told  Ned 
that  as  yet  I  do  not  know  enough  to  argue 
the  question  of  woman's  wrongs  with  him, 
but  I  have  learned  a  few  of  her  rights.  One 
of  mine  is  to  have  him  accept  any  invitation 
I  am  responsible  for  having  my  friends  of- 
238 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

fer  him,  and  to  accompany  me  to  the  enter 
tainment  if  I  desire  to  go.  I  reminded  him 
that  I  had  not  troubled  him  often  as  an 
escort  since  my  marriage.  He  was  so 
scared  that  he  almost  let  little  Ned  drop  out 
of  his  arms,  and  he  got  in  an  awful  hurry 
to  go  to  town,  but  he  asked  me  to  have  his 
gray  flannels  pressed  before  Tuesday  and 
to  buy  him  a  blue  tie  to  go  with  a  new  shirt 
he  has.  I  never  like  to  spank  Ned  or  the 
children,  but  I  must  say  it  does  clear  the 
atmosphere." 

"  You  don't  think  we  could  put  it  off  or 
—  or — "  Sallie  faltered. 

"  No !  "  answered  Mamie  and  I  together, 
and  as  I  spoke  I  called  Jasper  to  set  out 
more  rockers  and  have  Petunia  get  the  tea- 
tray  ready,  for  I  saw  Aunt  Augusta  go 
across  the  road  to  collect  Cousin  Martha 
and  Mrs.  Hargrove  and  the  rest,  while  Nell 
whirled  by  in  her  rakish  little  car  on  her 
way  to  the  Square  and  called  that  she  would 
be  back. 

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When  Nell  used  a  thousand  dollars  of  her 
own  money,  left  her  by  her  grandmother, 
to  buy  that  little  Buick,  Glendale  promptly 
had  a  spell  of  epilepsy  that  lasted  for  days. 
The  whole  town  still  dodges  and  swears 
when  it  sees  her  coming,  for  she  drives  with 
a  combination  of  feminine  recklessness 
and  masculine  speed  that  is  to  say  the  least 
alarming.  To  see  Aunt  Augusta  out  for 
a  spin  with  her  is  a  delicious  sight. 

And  it  was  most  interesting  to  listen  to 
a  minute  description  of  the  composite  fit 
thrown  by  the  male  population  of  Glendale, 
at  their  rally  invitation,  but  as  time  was 
limited  I  finally  coaxed  the  conversation 
around  to  the  subject  of  the  viands  to  be 
offered  the  lordly  creatures  in  the  way  of 
propitiation  for  the  insult  that  we  were 
forcing  them  to  swallow  by  taking  matters 
in  our  own  hands,  and  then  we  had  a  really 
glorious  time. 

I  am  glad  I  have  had  a  year  or  more  in 
Paris,  months  in  Italy,  weeks  in  Berlin,  and 
240 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

a  sojourn  in  England,  just  so  that  I  can  be 
sure  myself  and  assure  the  others  with 
authority  that  there  are  no  such  cooks  in 
all  the  world  as  the  women  in  the  Harpeth 
Valley  of  Tennessee,  United  States  of 
America. 

The  afternoon  wore  away  on  the  wings 
of  magic,  and  the  long,  purple  shadows 
were  falling  across  the  street,  a  rustle  of 
cool  night  wind  was  stirring  the  tree-tops 
and  the  first  star  was  coming  timidly  out 
into  the  gloaming,  before  they  all  realized 
that  it  was  time  to  hurry  and  scurry  under 
roof-trees. 

Lee  Greenfield  was  waiting  at  the  gate 
for  Caroline. 

Just  as  Henrietta  had  taken  a  last  peep 
at  the  clock  on  the  hall  table  and  gone  to 
answer  Sallie's  call  to  come  and  help  Aunt 
Dilsie  in  the  bedding  of  the  Kitten  and  the 
Pup,  Folk's  Hupp  stopped  at  the  gate,  and 
he  and  Jane  came  up  the  front  walk  in  the 
twilight  together. 

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THE  TINDER-BOX 

She  had  on  his  flannel  coat  over  her  linen 
one  and  his  expression  was  one  of  glorified 
and  translucent  daze.  I  did  n't  look  at 
her  —  I  felt  as  if  I  could  n't.  I  was  scared ! 
For  a  second  she  held  me  in  her  arms  and 
kissed  me,  really  —  the  first  time  she  had 
ever  done  it  in  all  my  life  —  and  then  went 
on  upstairs  with  a  nice,  cool  good-night 
and  "  thank  you  "  to  Polk. 

"  Evelina,"  he  said,  as  he  handed  me  the 
empty  lunch-basket  and  also  the  empty  fish- 
bucket,  the  first  he  had  ever  in  his  life 
brought  in  from  Little  Harpeth,  "  I  was 
right  about  that  Hallelujah  chorus  being  the 
true  definition  of  the  real  woman  —  only 
they  are  more  so.  I  have  seen  a  light,  and 
you  pointed  the  way.  Will  you  forgive  me 
for  being  what  I  was  —  and  trust  me 
—  with  —  with  —  good-night !  "  He  was 
gone! 

Jane's  kiss  had  been  one  of  revelation  — 
to  me! 

For  a  long  time  I  sat  out  there  in  the 
242 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

cool,  hazy,  windy  autumn  twilight  breeze, 
that  was  heavy  with  the  scent  of  luscious 
wild  grapes  and  tasseled  corn,  fanning  the 
flame  of  loneliness  in  me  until  I  could  n't 
have  stood  it  any  longer  if  a  tall  gray  figure 
of  relief  had  not  come  up  the  street  and 
called  me  down  to  my  front  gate. 

"  Hail  the  instigator  of  a  bloodless  revo 
lution,"  laughed  the  Crag  as  I  stopped  my 
self  with  difficulty  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  gate  from  him.  "  The  city  fathers  will 
have  to  capitulate,  and  now  for  the  reign  of 
the  mothers ! " 

"  And  the  same  old  route  to  subjection 
chosen,  through  their  stomachs  to  their  civic 
hearts,"  I  answered  impudently. 

Overlooking  my  pertness  he  went  on: 

"  Mayor  Shelby  was  at  home  with  Mrs. 
Augusta  for  two  hours  after  dinner  and, 
as  I  came  by  the  post-office,  I  heard  him 
telling  Polk  in  remarkably  chastened,  if 
not  entirely  chaste  language,  that  it  was 
'  better  to  let  the  women  have  their  kick-up 
243 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

on  a  feeding  proposition  than  on  something 
worse,'  as  he  classically  put  it." 

"  I  know  it  Is  a  great  victory,"  I  answered 
weakly,  "  but  I  'm  too  tired  to  glory  in  it. 
I  wish  I  was  Sallie's  Puppy  being  trotted 
across  Aunt  Dilsie's  knee,  or  Kit,  getting  a 
rocking  in  Cousin  Martha's  arms." 

"  Would  any  other  arms  do  for  the  rock 
ing  ? "  came  in  a  queer,  audacious  voice, 
with  a  note  in  it  that  stilled  something  in 
me  and  made  all  the  world  seem  to  be  hold 
ing  its  breath. 

"  I  'm  tired  of  revoluting  and  it 's  —  it 's 
tenderness  I  want,"  I  faltered  in  a  voice 
that  hardly  seemed  strong  enough  to  get  so 
far  up  out  of  my  heart  as  to  reach  the  ears 
of  the  Crag  as  he  bent  his  head  down  close 
over  mine.  He  had  come  on  my  side  of 
the  gate  at  the  first  weak  little  cry  I  had 
let  myself  make  a  minute  or  two  before. 

"  Is  this  right  ?  "  he  asked,  as  he  gently 
took  me  in  his  arms,  hollowed  his  shoulder 
for  a  place  for  my  head,  and  leaning  against 
244 


'Is  this  right  ?"  he  asked 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

the  old  gate  he  began  to  swing  me  gently 
to  and  fro,  his  cheek  against  my  hair  and 
humming  Aunt  Dilsie's 

"  Swing  low  sweet  chariot,  fer  to  carry 
me  home." 

It  was. 

I  know  now  what  I  want  and  I  am  going 
to  have  it.  I  '11  fight  the  whole  world  with 
naked  hands  for  him.  And  I  'm  also  go 
ing  to  find  some  way  to  get  him  with  all  his 
absurd  niceties  of  honor  intact,  just  because 
that  will  make  him  happier. 

I  '11  begin  at  the  beginning  and  some  way 
unclasp  those  gourdy  tendrils  that  Sallie 
has  been  strangling  him  with.  I  will  bunch 
all  the  rest  of  his  feminine  collection  and 
take  them  on  my  own  hands.  I  'm  going  to 
make  a  Governor  out  of  him,  and  then  a 
United  States  Senator  and  finally  a  Su 
preme  Judge.  Help!  Think  of  the  old 
Mossback  being  a  progressive,  but  that 's 
my  party  and  Jane's. 

I  know  he  is  going  to  hate  terribly  to 
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THE  TINDER-BOX 

have  me  ask  him  to  marry  me,  and  I  hate 
to  hurt  him  so,  but  it  is  my  duty  to  get 
Jane's  fifty  thousand  dollars  so  the  Five  may 
be  as  happy  as  I  am  to-night;  only  there 
are  n't  five  other  Crags.  I  know  it  will  be 
a  lifelong  mortification  to  him  to  have  me 
do  it,  but  he  lost  his  chance  to-night  grand 
mothering  me.  Still,  I  did  turn  my  lips 
away.  I  was  not  quite  ready  then  —  I  am 
now. 

If  he  wants  to  go  on  wearing  clothes  like 
that  I  'm  going  to  let  him,  even  on  the  Sen 
ate  floor,  but  I  can't  ever  stand  for  Cousin 
Jasmine  to  cut  his  hair  any  more.  I  want 
to  do  it  myself,  and  I  'm  going  to  tell  her 
so,  and  why.  She  and  I  have  cried  over 
that  miniature  of  the  lost  young  Confeder 
ate  cousin  of  hers  and  she  '11  understand  me. 

But  as  I  think  it  over  —  it  always  is  best 
to  be  kind,  and  I  believe  I  '11  let  him  get 
through  this  rally  —  it 's  just  four  days  — 
a  free  and  happy  man. 

I  don't  know  whether  to  go  in  and  wake 
246 


AN  ATTAINED  TO-MORROW 

up  Jane  or  not.  I  would  like  to  go  to  sleep 
with  that  kiss  revelation  between  us,  but 
maybe  it  is  my  duty  to  the  Five  to  extract 
some  data  from  her  while  it  is  fresh,  on  the 
foam.  I  am  afraid  it  is  going  to  go  hard 
with  her,  but  somehow  I  have  a  newborn 
faith  in  Polk  that  makes  me  feel  that  he 
will  make  it  as  easy  as  he  can  for  her. 

Is  n't  it  a  glorious  thing  to  realize  that 
neither  she  nor  I  will  have  to  sit  and  be  tor 
tured  by  waiting  to  see  what  those  men  are 
going  to  do? 


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CHAPTER  IX 

DYNAMITE 

WHEN  a  man  injures  a  woman's  feel 
ings  by  any  particular  course  of 
conduct  to  which  she  objects,  the  maternal 
in  her  rises  to  the  surface  and  she  treats 
and  forgives  him  as  she  would  a  naughty 
child, —  but  a  man  makes  any  kind  of 
woman-affront  into  a  lover's  quarrel.  That 
is  what  masculine  Glendale  has  been  doing 
to  its  women  folks  for  four  days,  and  I  be 
lieve  everybody  has  been  secretly  enjoy 
ing  it. 

As  to  the  rally,  they  have  stood  aside  with 
their  hands  in  their  pockets  and  their  noses 
in  the  air,  and  if  it  had  n't  been  for  Aunt 
Augusta  and  Nell  and  Jane  being  natural- 
born  carpenters  and  draymen,  we  might 
248 


DYNAMITE 

have  had  to  give  it  up  and  let  them  go  on 
with  it  to  their  own  glory. 

When  Nell  and  Jane  went  to  see  Mr. 
Dodd  about  building  the  long  tables  to  serve 
the  barbecue  dinner  on,  he  said  he  was  too 
busy  to  do  it  and  had  n't  even  any  lumber  to 
sell. 

Then  things  happened  in  my  back  yard 
that  it  sounds  like  a  romance  to  write  about. 
Jane  sent  me  over  to  borrow  the  Crag's 
team  and  wagon  and  Henrietta  and  Cousin 
Martha  and  any  of  the  rest  of  his  woman- 
impedimenta  that  I  could  get.  He  was  out 
of  town,  trying  a  case  over  at  Bolivar,  and 
would  n't  get  back  until  Monday  night. 

I  am  glad  he  was  n't  here,  for  it  would 
have  gone  hard  with  me  to  treat  him  in  the 
manner  that  Jane  decided  it  was  best  for 
all  the  women  in  Glendale  to  treat  all  the 
men  in  this  crisis.  It  sounded  sweet  and 
cold  as  molasses  dispenses  itself  to  you  in 
midwinter,  and  I  could  see  it  was  a  strain 
on  Mamie  and  Caroline  and  Mrs.  Kirkland, 
249 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

Nell's  mother,  and  young  Mrs.  Dodd,  the 
carpenter's  wife, —  the  Boston  girl  that  mar 
ried  him  before  she  realized  him, —  to  keep 
it  up  from  day  to  day. 

Besides  that  I  'm  going  to  be  a  politician's 
wife  —  though  he  doesn't  know  it  yet  — 
and  I  want  the  Crag  to  be  away  from  the 
necessity  of  taking  any  sides  in  this  civilized 
warfare.  That 's  one  reason  I  am  such  a 
go-between  for  Uncle  Peter  and  the  League, 
I  am  making  votes  for  my  man,  so  I  con 
sider  it  all  right  for  me  never  to  deliver  any 
of  their  messages  to  each  other  as  they  are 
given  to  me,  but  to  twist  them  into  agree- 
ability  to  suit  myself. 

Sallie  said  the  Dominie  was  entirely  on 
our  side  and  that  was  why  she  went  walking 
with  him  Sunday  afternoon.  All  the  other 
men  were  cool  to  him  and  he  is  so  sensitive. 

But  to  get  back  to  the  back  yard.     I  glory 
in  writing  it  and  want  the  Five  to  consider 
it  as  almost  sacred  data,  though  I  hope  they 
will  never  have  to  do  likewise. 
250 


DYNAMITE 

Jane  and  Nell  and  Aunt  Augusta  took 
the  two  axes  and  one  large  hammer  and  tore 
down  my  back  fence  while  I  and  the  others 
loaded  the  planks  on  the  wagon.  Jane  ap 
pointed  Henrietta  to  sit  and  hold  the  slow 
old  horses  in  case  they  should  have  got  de 
moralized  by  the  militant  atmosphere  per 
vading  Glendale  and  try  to  bolt.  I  never 
saw  any  human  being  enjoy  herself  as 
Henrietta  did,  and  it  was  worth  it  all  just 
to  look  into  her  radiant  countenance. 

Jane  took  all  the  hard  top  blows  to  do 
herself  and  left  the  unloosening  of  the  lower 
nails  to  Aunt  Augusta  while  Nell  ripped  off 
the  planks  that  stuck.  I  could  almost  hear 
Nell's  long,  polished  finger  nails  go  with  a 
rip  every  time  she  jerked  a  particularly 
tough  old  plank  into  subjection,  and  Aunt 
Augusta  dispensed  encouraging  axioms 
about  pioneer  work  as  she  banged  along  be 
hind  Jane.  Jane  herself  looked  as  cool  as 
a  cucumber,  did  n't  get  the  least  bit  ruffled, 
and  had  the  expression  on  her  face  that  the 
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THE  TINDER-BOX 

truly  normal  woman  has  while  she  is  hem 
ming  a  baby's  flannel  petticoat. 

And  though  during  the  day  many  de 
lightful  crises  were  precipitated,  the  most 
interesting  were  the  expressions  that  dev 
astated  Polk  Hayes's  and  Lee  Greenfield's 
faces  as  they  came  around  the  side  of  the 
house  to  see  what  all  that  hammering  was 
about. 

"  Caroline !  "  exclaimed  Lee,  in  perfect 
agony,  as  he  beheld  the  lady  of  his  ardent, 
though  long-restrained,  affections  poised 
across  the  wheel  of  the  wagon  tugging  at 
the  middle  of  a  heavy  plank  which  Mrs. 
Dodd  and  I  were  pushing  up  to  her,  while 
Mamie,  the  mother  of  seven,  stood  firmly 
on  top  of  the  wagon  guiding  it  into  place. 

"  Help ! "  gasped  Polk,  as  he  started  to 
take  the  ax  from  Jane  by  force. 

Then  we  all  stopped  while  Jane  quietly 
gurgled  the  molasses  of  the  situation  to 
them,  and  sent  them  on  down  the  street  sad 
der  and  wiser  men.  I  thought  Polk  was 
252 


DYNAMITE 

going  to  cry  on  her  shoulder  before  he  was 
finally  persuaded  to  go  and  leave  us  to  our 
fate,  and  the  expression  on  Lee's  face  as  he 
looked  up  at  torn,  dirty,  perspiring  Caroline, 
with  a  smudge  on  her  nose  and  blood  on 
her  hand  from  an  absolutely  insignificant 
scratch,  was  such  as  ought  to  have  been  on 
Ned's  face  as  he  ought  to  have  been  stand 
ing  by  Mamie  with  the  asafetida  bottle. 
That 's  mixed  up  but  the  Five  ought  to 
catch  the  point. 

It  took  up  all  of  Saturday  afternoon  and 
part  of  Monday  morning,  but  we  built  those 
tables,  thereby  disciplining  masculine  Glen- 
dale  with  a  severity  that  I  did  n't  think  could 
have  been  in  us. 

We  all  rested  on  Sunday,  that  is,  osten 
sibly.  Jane  put  down  all  sorts  of  things 
on  paper  that  everybody  had  to  do  on  Mon 
day  and  on  Tuesday.  Henrietta  sat  by  her 
in  a  state  of  trance  and  it  did  me  good 
to  see  Sallie  out  in  the  hammock  at  Wide- 
gables  taking  care  of  both  the  Kit  and  the 
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THE  TINDER-BOX 

Pup,  laboriously  assisted  by  panting  Aunt 
Dilsie,  because  Jane  explained  to  her  so 
beautifully  that  she  needed  a  lot  of  Henri 
etta's  time,  that  Sallie  acquiesced  with  good- 
natured  bewilderment.  Of  course,  Cousin 
Jasmine  helped  her  some,  but  she  was  busy 
aiding  Cousin  Martha  to  beat  up  some  mys 
terious  eggs  in  the  kitchen  —  with  the  shut 
ters  shut  because  it  was  Sunday.  It  was 
something  that  takes  two  days  to  "  set " 
and  was  to  be  the  piece  de  resistance,  after 
the  barbecue. 

Mrs.  Hargrove  could  n't  help  Sallie  at  all 
with  the  kiddies,  either,  because  she  was 
looking  through  all  her  boxes  and  bundles 
for  a  letter  from  her  son,  which  she  thought 
said  something  about  favoring  woman's 
rights,  and  if  it  is  like  she  thinks  it  is,  she  is 
going  to  go  to  the  barbecue  and  get  things 
nice  and  hot  instead  of  having  them  brought 
to  her  cold. 

I  had  hoped  to  get  a  few  minutes  Sunday 
afternoon  to  myself  so  I  could  go  up  into 
254 


DYNAMITE 

the  garret  and  look  through  one  of  the 
trunks  I  brought  from  Paris  with  me  to  see 
how  many  sets  of  things  I  have  got  left.  I 
am  going  to  need  a  trousseau  pretty  soon, 
and  I  might  need  it  more  suddenly  than  I 
expect.  I  don't  see  any  reason  for  people's 
not  marrying  immediately  when  they  make 
up  their  minds,  and  my  half  of  ours  is  made 
up  strong  enough  to  decidedly  influence 
rapidity  in  his.  But  then  I  really  don't  be 
lieve  that  the  Crag  would  care  very  much 
about  the  high  lights  of  a  trousseau,  and  it 
was  just  as  well  that  Nell  came  in  to  get 
me  to  help  her  write  a  letter  to  National 
Headquarters  to  know  if  she  could  have  any 
kind  of  assignment  in  the  Campaign  for  the 
Convention  to  alter  the  Constitution  in 
Tennessee  when  it  meets  next  winter. 

"  Have  you  made  up  your  mind  fully  to 
go  in  for  public  life,  Nell?  "  I  asked  mildly. 
"  Some  of  your  friends  might  not  like  it 
very  much  and  —  and  — " 

"  If  you  mean  Polk  Hayes,  Evelina," 
255 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

Nell  answered  with  the  positiveness  that 
only  a  very  young  person  can  get  up  the 
courage  to  use,  "  I  have  forgot  that  I  was 
ever  influenced  by  his  narrow-minded,  primi 
tive  personality  at  all.  If  I  ever  love  and 
marry  it  will  be  a  man  who  can  appreciate 
and  further  my  real  woman's  destiny." 

"  Well,  then,  that 's  all  right,"  I  answered 
with  such  relief  in  my  heart  that  it  must  have 
showed  in  my  voice  and  face.  I  had  wor 
ried  about  Nell  since  I  could  see  plainly, 
though  she  has  n't  told  me  yet,  and  I  am  sure 
he  does  n't  realize  it,  that  Jane  had  decided 
Folk's  destiny.  Nell  is  not  twenty-one  yet 
and  she  will  find  lots  of  men  in  the  world 
that  will  be  fully  capable  of  making  her  be 
lieve  they  feel  that  way  about  her  destiny, 
until  they  succeed  in  tying  her  up  to  using 
it  for  the  real  utilitarian  purposes  they  are 
sure  such  a  pretty  woman  is  created  for. 

It  will  take  men  in  general  another  hun 
dred  years  yet,  and  lots  of  suffering,  to 
realize  that  a  woman's  destiny  is  anything 
256 


DYNAMITE 

but  himself,  and  get  to  housekeeping  with 
her  on  that  basis. 

Of  course,  I  see  the  justice  and  need  of 
perfect  equality  in  all  things  between  the 
sexes,  emotional  equality  especially,  but  I 
hope  the  time  will  never  come  when  men 
get  as  hungry  to  see  their  women  folks  as 
said  feminists  get  to  see  them,  after  they 
have  been  away  about  four  days  out  in  the 
Harpeth  Valley.  It  takes  a  woman's  pa 
tience  to  stand  the  tug. 

The  Crag  did  n't  jog  into  Glendale  on 
his  raw-boned  old  horse  until  one-thirty 
Monday  night.  I  had  been  watching  down 
Providence  Road  for  him  from  my  pillow 
ever  since  I  put  out  my  light  at  eleven,  be 
cause  Jane  had  decided  that  it  was  our  duty 
to  go  to  bed  early  so  as  to  be  as  fresh  as 
possible  for  the  rally  in  the  morning.  She 
had  walked  to  the  gate  with  Polk  at  ten 
and  hadn't  come  back  until  eleven,  so, 
of  course,  she  was  ready  to  turn  in.  It 
was  just  foolish,  primitive  old  convention 
257 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

that  kept  me  from  slipping  on  my  slippers 
and  dressing-gown  —  I  've  got  the  prettiest 
ones  that  ever  came  across  the  Atlantic, 
Louise  de  Mereton,  Rue  de  Rivoli,  Paris  — 
and  going  down  to  the  gate  to  see  him  for 
just  a  minute.  That  second  he  stood  un 
decided  in  the  middle  of  the  road  looking 
at  my  darkened  house  was  agony  that  I  'm 
not  going  to  put  up  with  very  much  longer. 

Scientifically  I  feel  that  I  'm  thinking  life 
with  one  lobe  of  my  brain  and  breathing 
with  one  lung.  Still  I  made  myself  go  to 
sleep. 

Everybody  believes  in  God  in  a  different 
kind  of  way,  and  mine  satisfies  me  entirely. 
I  know  that  the  hairs  of  my  head  are  num 
bered  and  that  not  a  sparrow  falls;  and  I 
don't  stop  at  that.  I  feel  sure  that  my  tears 
are  measured  and  my  smiles  are  rejoiced 
over,  and  when  I  want  a  good  day  to  come 
to  me  I  ask  for  it  and  mostly  get  it. 
There  never  was  another  like  the  one  He 
sent  me  down  this  morning  on  the  first  slim 
258 


DYNAMITE 

ray  of  dawn  that  slid  over  the  side  of  Old 
Harpeth ! 

The  sun  was  warm  and  jolly  and  hos 
pitable  from  the  arrival  of  its  first  rays,  but 
the  wind  was  deliciously  cool  and  bracing 
and  full  of  the  wine  of  October.  It  came 
racing  across  the  fields  laden  with  harvest 
scents,  blustering  a  bit  now  and  then  enough 
to  bring  down  a  shower  of  nuts  or  to  make 
the  yellow  corn  in  the  shocks  in  the  fields 
rustle  ominously  of  a  winter  soon  to  come. 

The  maples  on  the  bluff  were  garmented 
in  royal  crimson  brocaded  with  yellow,  the 
buck-bushes  that  grew  along  the  edges  of 
the  rocks  were  strung  with  magenta  berries 
and  regiments  of  tall  royal  purple  iron^ 
weeds  and  yellow-plumed  golden-rod  were 
marshaled  in  squads  and  clumps  for  a  back 
ground  for  the  long  tables. 

Jane  and  I  with  Henrietta  were  out  by 

the  old  gray  moss  rock  at  the  first  break 

of  day,  installing  Jasper  and  Petunia  and  a 

few  of  their  confreres.     Jasper  has  always 

259 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

been  king  of  all  Glendale  barbecue-pits  and 
he  had  had  them  dug  the  day  before  and 
filled  with  dry  hickory  fires  all  night,  and 
his  mien  was  so  haughty  that  I  trembled 
for  the  slaves  under  his  command.  His 
basket  of  "  yarbs  "  was  under  the  side  of 
the  rock  in  hoodoo-like  shadows  and  the 
wagons  of  poor,  innocent,  sacrificed  lambs 
and  turkeys  and  sucking-pigs  were  backed 
up  by  the  largest  infernal  pit.  Petunia  was 
already  elbow  deep  in  a  cedar  tub  of  corn 
meal  for  the  pones,  and  another  minion  was 
shucking  late  roasting-ears  and  washing  the 
sweet  potatoes  to  be  packed  down  with  the 
meat  by  eight  o-clock.  A  wagon  was  to  col 
lect  the  baked  hams  and  sandwiches  and 
biscuits  and  confections  of  all  variety  and 
pedigree  from  the  rest  of  the  League  at  ten 
o'clock. 

We    did  n't    know    it    then    but    another 
wagon  was  already  being  loaded  very  pri 
vately  in  town  with  ice  and  bottles,  glasses 
and  lemons  and  mint  and  kegs  and  schoon- 
260 


DYNAMITE 

ers.  I  am  awfully  glad  that  the  Equality 
League  had  forgotten  all  about  the  wetting 
up  of  the  rally,  because  I  don't  believe  we 
would  have  been  equal  to  the  situation  with 
Aunt  Augusta  and  Jane  both  prohibition 
enthusiasts,  but  it  did  so  promote  the  senti 
ment  of  peace  and  good  cheer  during  the 
day  for  us  to  all  feel  that  the  men  had 
not  failed  us  in  a  crisis,  as  well  as  in  the 
natural  qualities  inherent  in  their  offering 
for  the  feast.  There  was  a  whole  case  of 
Uncle  Peter's  private  stock.  Could  human 
nature  have  done  better  than  that? 

But  if  we  did  forget  to  provide  the  liquids, 
I  am  glad  we  had  the  foresight  to  provide 
other  viands  enough  to  feed  a  regiment,  be 
cause  a  whole  army  came. 

"  Evelina,"  gasped  Jane,  as  we  stood  on 
the  edge  of  the  bluff  that  commands  a  view 
of  almost  all  the  Harpeth  Valley  stretched 
out  like  the  very  garden  of  Eden  itself, 
crossed  by  silver  creeks,  lined  with  broad 
roads  and  mantled  in  the  richness  of  the 
261 


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harvest  haze,  "  can  all  those  wagons  full  of 
people  be  coming  to  accept  our  invitation  ?  " 

"  Yes,  they  're  our  guests,"  I  answered, 
with  the  elation  of  generations  of  rally- 
givers  rising  in  my  breast,  as  I  saw  the 
stream  of  wagons  and  carriages  and  bug 
gies,  with  now  and  then  a  motor-car,  all  ap 
proaching  Glendale  from  all  points  of  the 
compass. 

"  Have  we  enough  to  feed  them,  Jasper?  " 
she  turned  and  asked  in  still  further  alarm. 

"  Nothing  never  give  out  in  Glendale  yit, 
since  we  took  the  cover  offen  the  pits  for 
Old  Hickory  in  my  granddad's  time,"  he 
answered,  with  a  trace  of  offense  in  his 
voice,  as  he  stood  over  a  half  tub  of  butter 
mixing  in  his  yarbs  with  mutterings  that 
sounded  like  incantations.  I  drew  Jane 
away  for  I  felt  that  it  was  no  time  to  disturb 
him,  when  the  basting  of  his  baked  meats 
was  just  about  to  begin. 

I  was  glad  that  about  all  the  countryside 
had  gathered,  unhitched  their  wagons,  pick- 
262 


DYNAMITE 

eted  their  horses,  and  got  down  to  the  en 
joyment  of  the  day  before  the  motor-cars 
bringing  the  distinguished  guests  had  even 
started  from  Bolivar.  It  was  great  to  watch 
the  fanners  slap  neighbors  on  the  back,  ex 
change  news  and  tobacco  plugs,  while  the 
rosy  women  folks  grouped  and  ungrouped 
in  radiant  good  cheer  with  children  squirm 
ing  and  tangling  over  and  under  and  around 
the  rejoicings. 

"  This,  Evelina,"  remarked  Jane,  with 
controlled  emotion  in  her  voice  and  a  mist 
in  her  eyes  behind  their  glasses,  "  is  not  only 
the  bone  and  sinew  but  also  the  rich  red 
blood  in  the  arteries  of  our  nation.  I  feel 
humbled  and  honored  at  being  permitted 
to  go  among  them." 

And  the  sight  of  dear  old  Jane  "  mixing  " 
with  those  Harpeth  Valley  farmer  folk  was 
one  of  the  things  I  have  put  aside  to  re 
member  for  always.  They  all  knew  me,  of 
course,  and  I  was  a  bit  teary  at  their  greet 
ings.  Big  motherly  women  took  me  in  their 
263 


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arms  and  younger  ones  laid  their  babies  in 
my  arms  and  laughed  and  cried  over  me, 
while  every  few  minutes  some  rugged  old 
farmer  would  call  out  for  Colonel  Shelby's 
"  little  gal  "  and  look  searchingly  in  my  face 
for  the  likeness  to  my  fire-eating,  old  Con 
federate,  politician  father. 

But  it  was  Jane  that  took  them  by  storm 
and  kept  them,  too,  through  the  crisis  of  the 
day.  Jane  is  the  reveille  the  Harpeth  Val 
ley  has  been  waiting  for  for  fifty  years.  I 
thought  I  was,  but  Jane  is  it. 

AYid  it  was  into  an  atmosphere  of  almost 
hilarious  enjoyment  that  the  distinguished 
Commission  arrived  a  few  minutes  before 
noon,  just  as  Jasper's  barbecue-pits  were 
beginning  to  send  forth  absolutely  madden 
ing  aromas. 

Nell  whirled  up  the  hill  first  and  turned 
her  Buick  across  the  road  by  the  bluff  with 
that  rakish  skill  of  hers  that  always  sends 
my  heart  into  my  throat.  And  whom  did 
she  have  sitting  at  her  blue,  embroidered- 
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DYNAMITE 

linen  elbow  but  Richard  Hall  himself? 
Good  old  big,  strong  dandy  Dickie,  how 
great  it  was  to  see  him  again,  and  if  I  had 
had  my  own  heart  in  my  breast  it  would 
have  leaped  with  delight  at  the  sight  of  him! 
But  even  the  Crag's  that  I  had  exchanged 
mine  for,  though  it  was  an  entire  stranger 
to  Dickie,  beat  fast  enough  in  sympathy  with 
the  dance  in  my  eyes  to  send  the  color  up 
to  my  face  in  good  fashion  as  I  hurried 
across  a  clump  of  golden-rod  to  meet  him. 

"  Evelina,  the  Lovely !  "  he  exclaimed  in 
his  big  booming  voice,  as  he  took  me  by  both 
shoulders  and  shook  me  instead  of  shaking 
merely  my  hand. 

"  Richard  the  Royal !  "  I  answered  in  our 
old  Quwtier  Latin  form  of  greeting.  I 
did  n't  look  right  into  his  eyes  as  I  always 
had,  however,  and  something  sent  a  keen 
pain  through  the  exchanged  heart  in  my 
breast  at  the  thought  that  I  might  be  obliged 
to  hurt  the  dandy  old  dear. 

But  suddenly  the  sight  of  Nell's  loveli- 
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ness  cheered  me.  She  had  had  Dick  in  that 
car  with  her  ever  since  nine  o'clock,  al 
most  three  hours,  showing  him  the  sights 
of  that  teeming  heavy  lush  harvest  country 
side  around  Bolivar  and  Glendale,  all  over 
which  are  low-roofed  old  country  houses 
which  brood  over  families  that  cluster 
around  the  unit  that  one  man  and  a  woman 
make  in  their  commonwealth.  Nell's  eyes 
were  sweet  as  she  looked  at  him.  I  '11  wait 
and  see  if  I  need  to  worry  over  him.  With 
the  fervor  I  felt  I  had  a  right  to,  I  then 
avoided  the  issue  of  Richard's  eyes,  put  it 
up  to  God  and  Nell,  and  introduced  him  to 
Jane. 

And  while  the  three  of  them  stood  wait 
ing  for  Nell  to  back  up  the  Buick  and  put 
her  spark-plug  in  her  pocket, —  only  Richard 
calmly  took  it  and  put  it  in  his, —  the  rest  of 
the  cars  came  up  the  hill  and  turned  into 
the  edge  of  the  golden-rod. 

Aunt  Augusta  was  in  the  first  one  with  the 
Chairman  of  the  Commission,  whose  name 
266 


DYNAMITE 

even  would  have  paralyzed  anybody  but 
Aunt  Augusta;  and  Mamie  and  Cousin 
Martha,  Caroline  and  several  more  of  the 
ladies  made  up  the  rest  of  the  Committee 
who  had  gone  to  escort  the  distinguished 
guests  to  the  rally. 

The  Crag  was  in  the  last  car  with  a  per 
fectly  delicious  old  gray-haired  edition  of 
Dickie,  and  I  almost  fell  on  both  their  necks 
at  once.  What  saved  them  was  Polk  ap 
pearing  between  us  with  three  long  mint- 
topped  glasses. 

I  'm  glad  old  Dick  immediately  had  his 
eyebrows  well  tangled  in  the  mint  of  his 
julep,  for  I  got  my  own  eyes  farther  down 
into  Cousin  James's  deep  gray  ones  than  I 
expected  and  it  was  hard  to  come  up.  I 
had  n't  had  a  plunge  in  them  for  three  days 
and  I  went  pretty  deep. 

"  Eve !  "  he  said  softly,  as  he  raised  his 
glass  and  smiled  across  his  green  tuft. 

Yes,  I  know  he  knows  that  I  know,  there 
is  an  answer  to  that  name  when  he  says  it 
267 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

that  way,  but  I  'm  not  going  to  give  it  until 
I  am  ready  and  the  place  is  romantically  se 
cluded  enough  to  suit  me.  He  just  dares 
me  when  he  says  it  to  me  before  other  peo 
ple.  That  reminds  me,  the  harvest  moon 
is  full  to-night  and  rises  an  hour  later  every 
evening  from  now  on.  I  don't  want  to 
wait  another  month  before  I  propose  to  him. 
I  Ve  always  chosen  moonlight  for  that  ca 
tastrophe  of  my  life.  I  wonder  if  men  have 
as  good  times  planning  the  culmination  of 
their  suits  as  I  am  having  with  mine? 

But  I  had  to  come  down  quickly  to  a  little 
thing  like  the  rally  and  give  the  signal  to 
feed  all  the  five  hundred  people,  who  by 
that  time  were  nice,  polite,  ravening  wolves, 
for  Jasper  had  uncovered  the  turkey-pit  to 
keep  them  from  getting  too  brown  while 
the  lambs  caught  up  with  them. 

Jane  was  the  master  of  ceremonies,  be 
cause  I  balked  at  the  last  minute.  I  think 
I  would  be  capable  of  managing  even  a 
National  Convention  in  Chicago  —  that  far 
268 


DYNAMITE 

away  from  the  Harpeth  Valley, —  but  I 
could  n't  do  it  with  my  friends  of  pioneer 
generations  looking  on.  A  man  or  woman 
never  grows  up  at  all  to  the  woman  who 
has  knitted  baby  socks  for  them  or  the 
man  who  has  let  them  ride  down  the  hill 
on  the  front  of  his  saddle. 

And  at  the  head  of  the  center  table  Jane 
asked  the  Crag  to  sit  beside  her,  so  that  he 
would  be  in  place  to  command  attention 
for  her  when  she  wanted  to  speak,  and 
where  everybody  could  hear  him  when  he 
did. 

And  while  the  table  was  piled  high  and 
emptied,  and  piled  high  again,  so  many  bou 
quets  of  oratory  were  culled,  tied,  and  cast 
at  the  guests  along  the  table  that  I  believe 
they  would  have  been  obliged  to  pay  ex 
clusive  attention  to  them  if  the  things  to 
eat  had  not  been  just  as  odoriferous  and 
substantial.  Before  dinner  was  over  every 
body  had  spoken  that  was  of  a  suitable  age, 
and  some  that  had  heretofore  in  the  Har- 
269 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

peth  Valley  been  considered  of  an  unsuit 
able  sex. 

Jane's  speech  of  welcome  made  such  an 
impression  that  it  is  no  wonder  some  of  the 
old  mothers  in  Israel  got  up  to  iterate  it, 
as  the  dinner  progressed. 

She,  as  usual,  refrained  from  prejudice- 
smashing  and  stones-at-glass-houses  throw 
ing,  and  she  had  n't  said  ten  sentences  be 
fore  she  had  the  whole  feeding  multitude 
with  her. 

She  began  on  the  way  our  pioneer  mothers 
had  to  contrive  to  keep  larders  stocked  and 
good  things  ready  for  the  households,  and 
she  tickled  the  palate  of  every  man  present 
by  mentioning  every  achievement  in  a  culi 
nary  way  that  every  woman  of  his  household 
had  made  in  all  the  generations  that  had 
gone  over  Harpeth  Valley.  She  called  all 
the  concoctions  by  their  right  names,  too, 
and  she  always  gave  the  name  of  the  orig 
inator,  who  was  some  dear  old  lady  that 
was  sleeping  in  the  Greenwood  at  the  foot 
270 


DYNAMITE 

of  the  hill,  or  in  some  grave  over  at  Provi 
dence  or  Hillsboro  or  Bolivar,  and  who. was 
grandmother  or  great-grandmother  to  a 
hundred  or  more  of  the  guests.  I  had 
wondered  why  Jane  had  been  poring  over 
that  old  autograph  manuscript  receipt  book 
in  my  desk  for  days,  and  as  she  paid  these 
modern  resurrecting  compliments  to  the 
long  gone  cooks,  tears  and  laughs  literally 
deluged  the  table. 

And  as  she  built  up,  achievement  by 
achievement,  the  domestic  woman-history 
of  the  valley,  Jane  showed  in  the  most  in 
sidious  way  possible  how  the  pioneer 
women  had  been  really  the  warp  on  which 
had  been  woven  the  woof  of  the  whole  his 
tory  of  their  part  of  the  Nation,  political, 
financial,  and  religious.  I  never  heard  any 
thing  like  it  in  all  my  life,  and  as  I  looked 
down  those  long  tables  at  those  aroused, 
tense,  farmer  faces,  I  knew  Jane  had  cracked 
the  geological  crust  of  the  Harpeth  Valley, 
and  built  a  brake  that  would  stop  any  whirl- 
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wind  on  the  woman-question  that  might  at 
tempt  to  come  in  on  us  over  the  Ridge  from 
the  outside  world.  They  saw  her  point  and 
were  hard  hit.  When  "  Votes  for  Women  " 
gets  to  coming  down  Providence  Road  the 
farmers  will  hitch  up  a  wagon  and  take 
mother  and  the  children  with  a  well-packed 
lunch  basket  to  meet  it  half  way.  This  is 
a  prophecy! 

Then,  after  Jane  sat  down,  I  don't  believe 
such  a  speechifying  ever  was  before  as  re 
sounded  out  over  the  river,  even  in  the  time 
of  Old  Hickory.  Everybody  had  some 
thing  to  say  and  got  to  his  feet  to  say  it 
well,  even  if  some  of  them  did  brandish  a 
turkey  wing  or  a  lamb  rib  to  emphasize 
their  points. 

And  the  women  were  the  funniest  things 
I  ever  beheld,  as  we  were  treated  to  one 
maiden  speech  after  another,  issuing  from 
the  lips  of  plump  matrons  anywhere  from 
thirty  to  sixty.  They  had  never  done  it 
before,  but  liked  it  after  they  had  tried. 
272 


DYNAMITE 

Mother  Mayberry  from  Providence,  who 
is  the  grand  old  woman  of  the  whole  val 
ley,  having  established  her  claim  to  the  title 
thirty  years  ago  by  taking  up  her  dead  doc 
tor  husband's  practice  and  "  riding  saddle 
bags  to  suffering  ever  since,"  as  she  puts 
it,  broke  the  feminine  ice  by  rising  from 
her  seat  by  the  side  of  one  of  the  entranced 
Magnates, —  who  had  been  so  delighted  with 
her  and  her  philosophies  that  he  could 
hardly  do  his  dinner  justice, —  and  address 
ing  the  rally  in  her  wonderful  old  voice  with 
her  white  curls  flying  and  her  cheeks  as 
pink  as  a  girl's. 

"  Children,"  she  said,  after  everybody 
had  clapped  and  clapped  so  she  could  n't  get 
a  start  for  several  minutes,  "  The  Harpeth 
Valley  women  have  been  a-marching  along 
behind  the  men  for  many  a  day,  because 
their  strong  shoulders  had  to  break  under 
growth  for  both,  but  now  husbands  and 
fathers  and  sons  have  got  their  feet  up  on 
the  bluff  of  Paradise  Ridge,  and  it  does  look 
273 


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like  they  will  be  a-reaching  down  their 
hands  to  help  us  up,  in  the  break  of  a  new 
day,  to  stand  by  their  side;  and  I,  for  one, 
say  mount !  —  I  'm  ready !  " 

A  perfect  war  of  applause  answered  her, 
and  Dickie's  father  got  up  to  go  down  the 
whole  length  of  the  table  to  shake  hands 
with  her,  but  had  to  wait  until  she  came  out 
of  the  embrace  of  Nell's  fluffy  arms,  and  got 
a  hand  free  from  the  Magnate  on  one  side 
and  Aunt  Augusta  on  the  other. 

Even  Sallie  began  to  look  speech ful,  and 
I  believe  she  would  have  got  up  and  spoken 
a  few  words  on  the  subject  of  women,  and 
how  they  need  men  to  look  after  them,  but 
she  said  something  to  Mr.  Haley,  who  shook 
his  head  and  then  got  up  and  prosed  beau 
tifully  to  us  for  ten  minutes,  and  would  have 
gone  on  longer,  if  he  had  n't  seen  Henrietta 
begin  to  look  mutinous. 

The  feast  had  begun  at  one  o'clock,  but 
by  Jasper's  skilful  manceuvering  of  one 
gorgeous  viand  after  the  other,  into  the 
274 


DYNAMITE 

right  place,  by  having  relays  of  pones 
browned  to  the  right  turn  and  potatoes  at 
the  proper  bursting  point,  it  had  been  pro 
longed  until  the  shadows  of  late  afternoon 
were  beginning  to  turn  purple. 

"  Don't  nobody  ever  leave  one  of  my 
barbecue  tables  until  sundown  begins  to 
tetch  up  the  empty  bones,"  has  been  his 
boast  for  years.  And  as  he  had  cleared 
away  the  last  scrap  from  the  last  table,  he 
leaned  against  a  tree,  exhausted  and  trium 
phant,  with  alert,  adoring  eyes  fixed  on  the 
Crag,  who  had  risen  in  his  place  at  the  head 
of  the  long  central  table. 

I  had  felt  entirely  too  far  away  from  him 
down  at  the  other  end  with  one  of  the  junior 
Magnates  and  Dickie,  but  I  was  glad  then 
that  I  sat  so  I  could  look  straight  into  his 
face  as  the  light  from  across  the  Harpeth 
Valley  illumined  it  without,  while  a  won 
derful  glow  lit  it  from  within. 

All  of  the  others  had  spoken  of  the 
achievements  of  their  families  and  fore- 
275 


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fathers  and  vaunted  the  human  history 
of  the  valley,  but  he  spoke  of  the  great 
hill-rimmed  Earth  Pocket  itself.  He  gave 
the  Earth  credit  for  the  crops  that  she  had 
yielded  up  for  her  children's  sustenance. 
He  described  how  she  had  bred  forest  kings 
for  the  building  of  their  homes,  granted 
stores  of  fuel  from  her  mines  for  their 
warming,  and  nourished  great  white  cotton 
patches  and  flocks  of  sheep  to  clothe  them 
from  frosts  and  winds. 

And  as  he  spoke  in  a  powerful  voice 
that  intoned  up  in  the  treetops  like  a  great 
deep  bell,  he  turned  and  looked  out  over  the 
valley  with  an  expression  like  what  must 
have  been  on  Moses's  face  when  he  saw  into 
the  promised  land. 

"  She  's  our  Mother,"  he  said,  as  he  flung 
back  the  long  lock  from  across  his  forehead 
and  stretched  out  his  strong  arm  and  slender 
hand  towards  the  sun  that  was  dropping  fast 
down  to  the  rim  of  Old  Harpeth.  "  She 
has  bared  her  breasts  to  suckle  us,  covered 
276 


'She's  our  Mother,"  he  said 


DYNAMITE 

us  from  sun  and  snow,  and  now  she  expects 
something  from  us.  If  she  has  built  us 
strong  and  ready,  then  we  are  to  answer 
when  the  world  has  need  of  us  and  her 
storehouses  and  mines.  We  are  to  give  out 
her  invitations  and  welcome  all  who  are 
hungry  and  who  come  a-seeking.  Gentle 
men,  her  wealth  and  her  fertility  are  yours 
—  and  her  beauty !  " 

For  a  long,  long  minute  every  face  in  the 
assembly  was  turned  to  the  setting  sun,  and 
a  perfect  glory  rose  from  the  valley  and 
burned  the  call  of  its  grandeur  into  their 
eyes.  We  seemed  to  be  looking  across 
fields  and  forests  and  streams  to  the  dim 
purple  hills  that  might  be  the  ramparts  of 
the  Holy  City  itself,  while  just  below  us  lay 
the  little  quiet  village  of  the  dead  whose 
souls  must  just  have  gone  before. 

And  after  that  everybody  rose  with  one 

accord  and  began  to  hurry  to  start  out  upon 

the  long  roads  homeward,  just  as  the  great 

yellow  moon  rose  in  the  east  to  balance  the 

277 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

red  old  sun  that  was  sinking  in  the  west. 
Only  the  Magnate  sat  still  in  his  place  for 
.several  long  minutes  looking  out  across  to 
Old  Harpeth,  and  I  wondered  whether  he 
was  thinking  about  the  Eternal  City  or  how 
many  rails  it  was  going  to  take  to  span  the 
valley  at  his  feet. 

And  I  —  J  just  stood  on  the  edge  of  the 
bluff  by  myself  and  let  my  soul  lift  up  its 
wings  of  rejoicing  that  my  Crag  had  got 
his  beautiful  desire  for  apostrophizing  the 
Mother- Valley  so  all  the  world  might  hear. 
And  then  suddenly  it  came  over  me  in  a 
great  warm,  uplifting,  awe-inspiring  rush 
that  a  woman  who  takes  on  herself  volun 
tarily  the  responsibility  of  marrying  a  poet 
and  an  orator  and  a  mystic,  who  is  the  com 
plete  edition  of  a  Mossback  that  all  those 
qualities  imply,  must  square  her  shoulders 
for  a  long,  steady,  pioneer  march  through  a 
strange  country. 

Could  such  achievement  be  for  me? 

"  Please  God !  "  I  prayed  right  across  into 
278 


DYNAMITE 

the  sunset,  "  make  me  a  full  cup  that  never 
fails  him!" 

I  don't  know  how  long  I  stood  talking 
with  God  that  way  about  my  man,  but  when 
I  turned  and  looked  back  under  the  maples 
everybody  was  gone,  and  I  could  hear  the 
last  rattle  and  whirl  going  down  the  hill. 
For  a  second  I  felt  that  there  was  nobody 
but  Him  and  me  left  on  the  hill,  but  even 
in  that  second  my  heart  knew  better. 

"Now?"  I  questioned  myself  softly,  out 
over  to  the  yellow  moon  that  had  at  last 
languidly  and  gracefully  risen,  putting  the 
finishing  touch  to  the  scene  I  had  been  plan 
ning  for  my  proposal. 

"  Evelina,"  said  the  Crag  quietly  from 
where  he  stood  leaning  against  the  tallest 
maple,  "  shall  we  stay  here  forever  and  ever, 
or  hurry  down  through  the  cemetery  by  the 
short  cut  to  the  station  to  say  good-by  to  the 
railroaders  as  they  expect  us  to  do?" 

Nobody  ever  had  a  better  opening  than 
that,  and  I  ought  to  have  said,  "  Be  mine, 
279 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

be  mine,"  with  some  sort  of  personal  varia 
tion  of  the  theme,  and  have  clapped  him  to 
my  breast  and  been  happy  ever  after.  That 
is  what  a  courageous  man  would  have  done 
under  the  circumstances,  with  an  oppor 
tunity  like  that,  but  I  got  the  worst  kind  of 
scare  I  ever  experienced,  and  answered: 

"  How  much  time  have  we  got  ?  Do  you 
think  we  can  make  it  ?  " 

"  Plenty,"  he  answered  comfortably  as  I 
began  to  quicken  my  pace  to  the  little  gate 
that  leads  between  the  hedge  into  the  little 
half-acre  of  those  who  rest.  Then  as  I 
tried  to  pass  him,  he  caught  my  hand  and 
made  me  walk  in  the  narrow  path  close  at 
his  side. 

Now  even  a  very  strong-minded  woman, 
who  had  to  go  through  a  little  graveyard 
with  moonlight  making  the  tombstones 
glower  out  from  deep  shadows  of  cedar 
trees,  in  the  depths  of  which  strange  birds 
croak,  while  the  wind  rustles  the  dry  leaves 
into  piles  as  they  fall,  wouldn't  feel  like 
280 


?crouged  so  close  to  his  arm  that  it  was  difficult  for  both 
of  them  to  walk 


DYNAMITE 

honorably  proposing  to  the  man  she  in 
tended  to  marry,  even  if  she  was  scrouged 
so  close  to  his  arm  that  it  was  difficult  for 
both  of  them  to  walk,  would1  she? 

I  excuse  myself  this  time,  but  I  must 
hold  myself  to  the  same  standard  that  I  want 
to  hold  Lee  Greenfield  to.  How  do  I  know 
that  he  has  n't  had  all  sorts  of  cold,  creepy 
feelings  keeping  him  from  proposing  to 
Caroline  ? 

I  hereby  promise  myself  that  I  will  ask 
Cousin  James  to  marry  me  the  next  favora 
ble  opportunity  I  get,  if  I  die  with  fright 
the  next  minute,  or  have  to  make  the  op 
portunity. 

Still,  I  can't  help  wondering  what  does 
keep  him  so  composed  under  the  circum 
stances.  Surely  he  would  n't  refuse  me, 
but  how  do  I  know  for  sure?  How  does 
a  man  even  know  if  a  woman  is  —  ? 


281 


CHAPTER  X 

TOGETHER  ? 

WHEN  business  and  love  crowd  each 
other  on  a  man's  desk  he  calmly  puts 
love  in  a  pigeon-hole  to  wait  for  a  convenient 
time  and  attends  strictly  to  business,  while  a 
woman  takes  up  and  coddles  the  tender  pas 
sion  and  stands  business  over  in  the  corner 
with  its  face  to  the  wall  to  keep  it  from 
intruding. 

Dickie  has  been  here  a  whole  week  since 
the  barbecue-rally,  ostensibly  trying  to  get 
me  down  to  making  a  few  preliminary 
sketches  for  the  gardens  to  his  C.  &  G. 
railroad  stations,  and,  of  course,  I  am  go 
ing  to  do  them.  I  'm  interested  in  them  and 
I  'm  sensible  of  the  honor  it  is  to  get  the 
chance  of  making  them ;  but  the  moon  did  n't 
282 


TOGETHER? 

rise  until  after  ten  o'clock  last  night  and 
I  'm  getting  nervous  about  that  scene  of 
sentiment  I  'm  planning.  I  can't  think  of 
gardens ! 

Still,  I  am  glad  he  stayed  and  that  every 
body  has  been  giving  him  a  party  and  that 
Nell  is  always  there,  for  he  has  n't  had 
time  to  notice  how  I  'm  treating  business 
and  coddling  — 

Jane  and  Polk  and  Nell  and  Caroline  and 
Lee  and  everybody  else,  including  Sallie  and 
the  Dominie,  have  been  all  over  my  house 
all  day  and  into  the  scandalous  hours  of  the 
night,  which  in  Glendale  begin  at  eleven, 
o'clock  and  pass  the  limit  at  twelve,  and  I 
don't  see  how  they  stand  so  much  of  not 
being  alone  with  each  other.  It  is  wearing 
me  out. 

I  had  positively  decided  on  my  own  side 
steps  for  the  scene  of  my  proposal  to  the 
Crag,  under  the  honeysuckle  vine  that  still 
has  a  few  brave  and  hearty  blossoms  to 
encourage  me,  with  the  harvest  moon  look- 
283 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

ing  on,  but  moons  and  honeysuckle  blossoms 
wait  for  no  man  and  no  woman  especially. 
They  are  both  fading,  and  I  've  never  got 
the  spot  to  myself  more  than  a  minute  at  a 
time  yet.  The  Crag,  with  absolutely  no 
knowledge  of  my  intentions,  except  it  may 
be  a  psychic  one,  sits  there  every  night 
and  smokes  and  looks  out  at  Old  Harpeth 
and  maddens  me,  while  some  one  of  the 
others  walks  in  and  out  and  around  and 
about  and  sits  down  beside  him,  where  I 
want  to  be. 

And  as  for  the  day  time,  I  am  so  busy  all 
day  long,  providing  for  this  perpetual  house- 
party,  that  I  am  dead  to  even  friendship  by 
night.  Jane  is  doing  over  Glendale  from 
city  limits  to  the  river,  and  I  have  to  spend 
my  time  keeping  the  dear  town  from  find 
ing  out  what  is  being  done  to  it. 

She  is  hunting  out  everybody's  pet  idea 
or  ideal  for  some  sort  of  change  or  improve 
ment  to  his,  especially  his,  native  town,  and 
then  leading  him  gently  up  to  accomplishing 
284 


TOGETHER? 

it  so  that  he  will  think  he  has  done  it  entirely 
by  himself,  but  will  tell  the  next  man  he 
meets  that  there  is  nothing  in  the  world  like 
a  fine  energetic  woman  with  good  horse 
sense.  In  fact,  Jane  is  courting  the  entire 
male  population  in  a  most  scandalous  fash 
ion,  and  they  '11  be  won  before  they  know 
it. 

"  Now,  that  Confederate  monument 
ought  to  have  been  built  long  ago  out  of 
that  boulder  from  the  river  instead  of  haul 
ing  in  a  slicked-up  granite  slab  that  would 
er  made  the  Glendale  volunteers  of  '61  feel 
uncomfortable  like  they  would  do  in  the 
beds  in  the  city  hotels.  Great  idea  of  mine 
and  that  Yankee  girl's  —  great  idea  — 
hey?"  sputtered  Uncle  Peter,  after  Jane 
had  spent  the  evening  down  with  him  and 
Aunt  Augusta. 

"  It  is  a  fine  idea,  Uncle  Peter,"  I  agreed 
with  a  concealed  giggle. 

"  I  Ve  subscribed  the  first  five  dollars  of 
the  fifty  for  hauling,  setting  up  and  inscrib- 
285 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

ing  it,  and  we  are  going  to  let  the  women 
give  half  of  it  out  of  the  egg-money  they 
have  got  in  that  Equality  Quilting  Society 
—  some  kind  of  horse  sense  epidemic  has 
broken  out  in  this  town,  horse  sense,  Eve 
lina,  hey  ? "  And  he  went  on  down  the 
street  perfectly  delighted  at  having  at  last  ac 
complished  his  pet  scheme.  He  thought  of 
it  as  exclusively  his  own  by  now,  of  course. 

And  the  monument  is  just  the  beginning 
of  what  is  going  to  begin  in  Glendale* 
Jane  says  so. 

"  There  could  be  no  better  place  than  this 
rural  community  to  try  out  a  number  of  the 
ories  I  have  had  in  political  economy  as  re 
lated  to  the  activities  of  women,  Evelina," 
she  said  to  me  to-day,  looking  at  me  in  a 
benign  and  slightly  confused  way  from  be 
hind  her  glasses.  "  Mr.  Hayes  and  I  were 
just  talking  some  of  them  over  to-night, 
and  he  seems  so  interested  in  seeing  me  in 
stitute  some  of  the  most  important  ones. 
How  could  you  have  ever  thought  such  a 
286 


TOGETHER? 

man  as  he  is  lacking  in  seriousness  of  pur 
pose,  dear?  " 

"  I  feel  sure  that  it  was  just  my  own 
frivolous  streak  that  called  out  the  frivo 
lous  in  Polk,  Jane  dear,"  I  answered  with 
trepidation,  hoping  and  praying  that  the  in 
quisition  would  not  go  much  further,  and 
trying  to  remember  just  what  I  had  written 
her  about  Polk. 

"  It  may  have  been  that,"  Jane  answered, 
in  a  most  naively  relieved  tone  of  voice. 
"  But  you  don't  know  how  happy  I  am, 
dear,  to  see  that  that  streak  is  only  an  oc 
casional  charming  vein  that  shows  in  you,, 
but  that  you  are  now  settling  down  steadily 
to  your  profession.  I  feel  sure  that  when 
these  garden  drawings  are  done,  you  and 
Mr.  Hall  will  have  found  your  correct 
places  in  each  other's  lives  and  it  will  be  just 
a  glorious  example  of  how  superbly  a  man 
and  woman  can  work  together  at  the  same 
profession.  Mr.  Hardin  and  I  were  talking 
about  it  just  last  night  out  on  the  side 
287 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

porch,  and  though  he  said  very  little  I  could 
see  how  gratified  he  was  at  the  honors  that 
had  come  to  you  and  how  much  he  likes 
Mr.  Hall." 

That,  settled  it,  and  I  made  up  my  mind 
that  when  the  Harvest  Lady  left  us  to-night 
to  sink  behind  Old  Harpeth,  she  was  n't  go 
ing  to  leave  me  weakly  lonesome.  She 
does  n't  set  until  two  o'clock,  and  I  'm  go 
ing  to  take  all  the  time  I  need. 

And  as  serious  and  solemn  as  I  feel  over 
taking  such  a  step  for  two  as  I  am  deciding 
on,  I  can't  help  looking  forward  to  scrib 
bling  a  terse  and  impersonal  account  of  my 
having  proposed  to  the  man  of  my  choice  in 
this  strong-minded  book,  adding  a  few 
words  of  sage  advice  for  the  Five,  locking 
it  and  handing  it,  key  and  all,  to  Jane  with 
a  dramatic  demand  that  she  put  her  hun 
dred  thousand  dollars  in  the  Trust  Com 
pany  and  begin  to  choose  the  Five  from 
those  she  has  had  in  mind. 

Then  before  she  has  had  time  to  read  it, 
288 


TOGETHER? 

I  am  going  to  sneakily  get  it  back  and  blot 
or  tear  out  some  of  the  things  I  have  writ 
ten.  I  can  decide  later  what  will  be  data 
and  what  will  be  dangerous  to  the  cause. 

"And  you  will  be  glad  to  have  me  — 
come  and  live  for  a  time  in  your  home  life, 
dear?"  Jane  recalled  me  to  the  question 
in  hand  by  saying  wistfully.  "  I  feel  that 
I  have  never  had  such  good  friends  before, 
anywhere,  as  these  of  yours  are  to  me,  Eve 
lina,"  she  added. 

That 's  one  time  I  got  Jane  completely  in 
my  arms  and  showed  her  what  a  really  good 
hugging  means  south  of  Mason  and  Dixon's 
line.  From  later  developments  I  am  glad 
she  had  that  slight  initiation.  It  must  have 
been  serviceable  to  her  New  England  dis 
position. 

Then  just  as  I  was  going  to  ask  some  of 
the  plans  she  —  and  Polk  —  had  made,  over 
came  Cousin  Jasmine,  with  Cousin  Annie 
and  Mary,  with  Mrs.  Hargrove  puffing 
along  behind  them.  They  had  come  to  see 
289 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

Jane,  but  I  was  allowed  to  stay  and  have 
my  breath  knocked  out  by  their  mission. 

It  seems  Jane  had  got  a  great  big  book 
from  some  firm  in  New  York  that  tells  all 
about  herb-growing,  and  how  difficult  it  is 
to  get  the  ones  needed  for  condiments  and 
perfumes,  and  offering  to  buy  first-class 
lavender  and  thyme  and  bergamot  and  sweet 
fern  and  things  of  that  kind  in  any  quanti 
ties  at  a  good  price.  She  had  shown  it  to 
the  little  old  ladies  who  had  been  secretly 
grieving  at  the  separation  from  their  garden 
out  on  their  poorly  rented  farm,  and  the 
leaven  had  worked  —  on  Mrs.  Hargrove 
also.  They  go  back  to  the  farm  and  she 
with  them?  She  had  decided  on  raising 
mint  to  both  dry  and  ship  fresh,  because 
he  of  the  gay  pajamas  always  liked  to  have 
it  strong  and  fresh  for  the  julep  of  his  an 
cestors.  I  hope  she  won't  forget  to  take 
that  pattern  of  Japanese  extraction  with  her 
and  make  some  for  the  Crag  now  and  then, 
for  it  will  save  my  time.  Horrors! 
290 


TOGETHER? 

"  We  have  fully  decided  on  our  course  of 
action,  Jane,  and  Evelina,  dears,"  said 
Cousin  Jasmine  in  a  positive  little  manner 
that  she  would  have  been  as  incapable  of  a 
month  ago,  as  is  a  pet  kitten  of  barking  at 
the  family  dog,  "  but  we  do  so  dread  to  break 
it  to  dear  James,  because  we  feel  that  he 
may  think  we  are  not  happy  under  his  roof 
and  be  distressed.  Do  you  believe  we  shall 
be  able  to  make  him  see  that  we  must 
pursue  our  independent  life,  though  always 
needing  the  support  of  his  affection  and 
interest  ?  " 

"  I  believe  you  will,  Cousin  Jasmine,"  I 
said,  wanting  to  both  laugh  and  cry  to  see 
the  Crag's  burdens  begin  to  roll  off  his 
shoulders  like  this.  And  the  tears  that 
did  n't  rise  would  have  been  real  ones,  too, 
for  I  found  that,  down  in  the  corner  of  my 
heart,  I  had  adored  the  picture  of  my  oak 
with  the  tender  little  old  vines  clinging 
around  him.  It  was  the  producing  gourd 
I  had  most  objected  to  and  I  could  n't  see 
291 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

but  she  would  be  there  until  I  unclasped  her 
tendrils. 

But  I  was  forgetting  that,  in  the  modern 
theory  of  thought-waves,  it  is  the  simplest 
minds  that  get  the  ripples  first  and  hardest. 
Sallie  came  over  just  as  soon  as  the  other 
delegation  had  got  home  to  take  the  twins 
off  her  hands.  Jane  had  gone  upstairs  to 
make  more  calculations  on  our  reconstruc 
tion,  and  I  was  trying  to  get  a  large  deep 
breath. 

"  Evelina,"  she  said,  as  she  sank  in  a 
chair  near  me  and  fastened  her  large,  very 
young-in-soul,  eyes  on  mine,  "  were  you  just 
joking  Nell,  or  did  you  mean  it,  when  you 
said  the  other  day  that  you  thought  it  would 
be  cowardly  of  a  woman  not  to  show  a  man 
that  she  loved  him,  if  he  for  any  reason  was 
not  willing  to  make  the  first  advances  to 
her?  "  Sallie  is  perfectly  lovely  in  the  faint 
lavender  and  pink  things  that  Jane  made 
her  decide  to  get  in  one  conversation, 
whereas  while  Nell  and  Caroline  and  I  had 
292 


TOGETHER? 

been  looking  up  and  bringing  her  surrepti 
tious  samples  of  all  colors  from  the  store 
all  summer. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  that  I  exactly  meant 
Nell  to  take  it  all  to  heart,"  I  answered 
without  the  slightest  suspicion  of  what  was 
coming.  "  But  I  do  think,  Sallie,  it  would 
be  no  more  than  honest,  fearless,  and  within 
a  woman's  own  greater  rights." 

"  Mr.  Haley  was  saying  the  other  evening 
that  a  woman's  sweet  dependence  was  a 
man's  most  precious  heritage,"  Sallie  gently 
mused  out  on  the  atmosphere  that  was  be 
ginning  to  be  pretty  highly  charged. 

"  Does  n't  a  woman  have  to  depend  on  her 
husband's  tenderness  and  care  all  of  the 
time  —  time  she  is  bearing  a  child,  Sallie, 
even  up  to  the  asafoetida  spoon  crisis?"  I 
asked  with  my  cheeks  in  a  flame  but  deter 
mined  to  stand  my  ground.  "  It  does  seem 
to  me  that  nature  puts  her  in  a  position  to 
demand  so  much  support  from  him  in  those 
times  that  she  ought  to  rely  on  herself  when 
293 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

she  can.  Especially  as  she  is  likely  to  bring 
an  indefinite  number  of  such  crises  into  their 
joint  existence." 

Sallie  laughed,  for  she  remembered  the 
liigh  horse  I  had  mounted  on  the  subject  of 
Mamie  and  Ned  Hall  the  day  after  the  As 
sembly  dance. 

And  as  I  laughed  suddenly  a  picture  I 
had  seen  down  at  the  Hall's  flashed  across 
my  mind.  I  had  gone  down  to  tell  Mamie 
something  Aunt  Augusta  wanted  her  to  pro 
pose  next  day  at  a  meeting  of  the  Equality 
League  about  drinking  water  in  the  public 
school  building.  Mamie  has  learned  to 
make,  with  pink  cheeks  and  shining  eyes, 
the  quaintest  little  speeches  that  always 
carry  the  house  —  and  even  made  one  at  a 
public  meeting  when  we  invited  the  men  to 
hand  over  our  fifty  dollars  for  the  monu 
ment.  Ned's  face  was  a  picture  as  he  held 
a  ruffle  of  her  muslin  gown  between  his 
fingers  while  she  stood  up  to  do  it. 

But  the  picture  that  flashed  through  my 
294 


TOGETHER? 

mind  was  dearer  than  that  and  I  put  it  away 
in  that  jewel-box  that  I  am  going  to  open 
some  day  for  my  own  man. 

Both  Mamie's  nurse  and  cook  had  gone  to 
the  third  funeral  of  the  season  and  Mamie 
was  feeding  the  entire  family  in  the  back 
yard.  The  kiddies  were  sitting  in  a  row 
along  the  top  of  the  back  steps,  eating  cook 
ies  and  milk,  with  bibs  around  their  necks, — 
from  the  twelve  year  old  Jennie,  who  had 
tied  on  hers  for  fun,  down  to  the  chubby- 
kins  next  to  the  baby, —  and  Mamie  was  sit 
ting  flat  on  the  grass  in  front  of  them  nurs 
ing  little  Ned,  with  big  Ned  sitting  beside 
her  with  his  arm  around  both  her  and  the 
baby.  He  was  looking  first  down  into  her 
face,  and  then  at  the  industrious  kiddie  get 
ting  his  supper  from  the  maternal  fount,  and 
then  at  the  handsome  bunch  on  the  steps,  as 
he  alternately  munched  a  bite  of  his  cookie 
and  fed  Mamie  one,  to  the  delight  of  the 
children.  The  expression  on  his  face  as  he 
looked  at  them,  and  her,  and  ate  and 
295 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

laughed,  is  what  is  back  of  all  that  goes  to 
make  the  American  nation  the  greatest  on 
earth.  Amen ! 

"  Sallie,"  I  said,  as  I  reached  out  and  took 
her  plump  white  hand  in  mine,  "  our  men 
are  the  most  wonderful  in  the  world  and 
they  are  ours  any  way  we  get  them.  They 
don't  care  how  it  is  done,  and  neither  do  we, 
just  so  we  belong  in  the  right  way." 

"Then  you  don't  think  it  would  be  any 
harm  for  me  to  tell  Mr.  Haley  I  think  I 
could  live  on  eighteen  hundred  dollars  a 
year,  until  he  gets  sent  to  a  larger  church  ?  " 
was  the  bomb  that,  thus  encouraged,  Sallie 
exploded  in  my  face. 

I  'm  awfully  glad  that  I  did  n't  get  a 
chance  to  answer,  for  I  don't  want  to  be  re 
sponsible  for  the  future  failure  or  success 
of  Mr.  Haley's  ministry.  Just  then  Henri 
etta  burst  into  the  room  with  the  Kitten  in 
her  arms. 

"  Keep  her  for  me,  Evelina,  please, 
ma'am,"  she  said,  with  the  dearest  little 
296 


TOGETHER? 

chuckle,  but  not  forgetting  the  polite 
"  please,"  which  Jane  had  had  to  suggest  to 
her  just  once.  What  you  Ve  done  for  that 
wayward  unmanageable  genius  of  a  child, 
Jane  dear,  makes  you  deserve  ten  of  your 
own.  That  is  —  help! 

"  Cousin  Augusta  and  Nell  and  Dickie 
and  me  is  a  going  out  to  watch  the  man  put 
the  dyn'mite  in  the  hole  to  blow  the  creek 
right  up  and  Glendale,  too,  so  they  can  see 
if  they  is  enough  clean  water  to  put  in  the 
waterworks,"  she  continued  to  explain. 
"  Nell  is  a-going  to  take  Dickie  in  her  car, 
and  Cousin  Augusta  is  a-going  to  take  me 
and  Uncle  Peter  in  her  buggy.  Dilsie  have 
got  the  Kit  and  Cousin  Marfy  is  a-watch- 
ing  to  see  she  don't  do  nothing  wrong  with 
her.  Oh,  may  I  go,  Sallie?  Jane  said  I 
must  always  ask  you." 

"  Yes,  dearest,"  answered  Sallie,  im 
mensely  flattered  by  the  deference  thus  paid 
her. 

"  How  wonderful  an  influence  the  little 
297 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

talks  Mr.  Haley  has  had  with  Henrietta 
have  had  on  her,"  she  said,  with  such  a 
happy  glow  on  her  face  as  the  reformed 
one  departed  that  I  succeeded  in  suppressing 
the  laugh  that  rose  in  me  at  the  memory  of 
Henrietta's  account  of  the  first  one  of  the 
series. 

Men  need  not  fear  that  the  time  will 
ever  come  when  they  will  cease  to  get  the 
credit  for  making  Earth's  wheels  go  around, 
from  the  female  inhabitants  thereof.  So 
I  smiled  to  myself  and  buried  my  face  in 
the  fragance  under  the  bubbly  Puppy  girl's 
chin  and  coaxed  her  arms  to  clasp  around 
my  neck. 

They  are  the  holy  throb  of  a  woman's  life 
—  babies.  Less  than  ten  would  n't  satisfy 
me  unless  well  scattered  in  ages,  Jane.  On 
some  questions  I  am  not  modern. 

"  Still    I    do    feel    so   miserable   leaving 

Cousin  James  so  alone  all  winter,"   Sallie 

continued  with  the  most  beautiful  sympathy 

in  her  voice,  as  she  looked  out  of  the  window 

298 


TOGETHER? 

towards  Widegables.  "  I  wonder  if  I  ought 
to  make  up  my  mind  to  stay  with  him? 
He  loves  the  children  so,  and  you  know  the 
plans  of  Cousin  Jasmine  and  the  others  to 
go  back  to  their  farm." 

"  But  he  '11  have  his  mother  left,"  I  said 
quietly  but  very  encouragingly.  I  seemed 
to  see  the  little  green  tendril  that  had  un 
clasped  from  the  oak  turning  on  its  stem 
and  winding  tight  again. 

"  Miss  Mathers  was  encouraging  Cousin 
Martha  to  go  to  Colorado  to  see  Elizabeth 
and  her  family  for  a  long  visit  this  winter. 
She  has  n't  seen  Elizabeth  since  her  mother 
died  and  she  was  so  much  interested  in  the 
easy  way  of  traveling  these  days,  as  Miss 
Mathers  described  it,  that  she  asked  her  to 
write  for  a  time-table  and  what  a  ticket 
costs,  just  this  morning.  I  really  ought  not 
to  desert  Cousin  James." 

"  But   think   how   lonely   Mr.    Haley   is 
down  in  the  parsonage  and  of  his  influence 
on  Henrietta,"  I  urged. 
299 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

"  Yes,  I  do  feel  drawn  in  both  ways," 
sighed  the  poor  tender  gourd.  "  And  then 
you  will  be  here  by  yourself,  so  you  can 
watch  over  Cousin  James,  as  much  as  your 
work  will  allow  you,  can't  you,  Evelina?" 

"  Yes,  I  '11  try  to  keep  him  from  being 
too  much  alone,"  I  answered  with  the  most 
deceitful  unconcern. 

"  I  see  him  coming  to  supper  and  I  must 
go,  for  I  want  to  be  with  him  all  I  can,  if 
I  am  to  leave  him  so  soon.  I  may  not  make 
up  my  mind  to  it,"  with  which  threat  Sallie 
departed  and  left  me  alone  in  the  gloaming, 
a  situation  which  seems  to  be  becoming 
chronic  with  me  now. 

If  I  had  it,  I  'd  give  another  hundred 
thousand  dollars  to  the  cause,  to  hear  that 
interview  between  Sallie  and  the  Dominie. 
I  wager  he  '11  never  know  what  happened 
and  would  swear  it  didn't,  if  confronted 
with  a  witness. 

And  also  I  felt  so  nervous  with  all  this 
,asking-in-marriage  surging  in  the  atmos- 
300 


TOGETHER? 

phere  that  it  was  with  difficulty  that  I  sat 
through  supper  and  listened  to  Jane  and 
Polk,  who  had  come  in  with  her,  plan  town 
sewerage.  To-morrow  night  I  knew  the 
moon  would  n't  rise  until  eleven  o'clock, 
and  how  did  I  know  anyway  that  Sallie's 
emancipation  might  not  get  started  on  the 
wrong  track  and  run  into  my  Crag?  His 
chivalry  would  never  let  him  refuse  a 
woman  who  proposed  to  him  and  he  '11  be 
in  danger  until  I  can  do  it  and  tell  the  town 
about  it. 

Jane  and  Polk  had  promised  Dickie  and 
Nell  to  motor  down  Providence  Road  as  far 
as  Cloverbend  in  the  moonlight,  and  I  think 
Caroline  and  Lee  were  going  too.  Polk 
looked  positively  agonized  with  embar 
rassed  sorrow  at  leaving  me  all  alone,  and  it 
was  with  difficulty  that  I  got  them  off.  I 
pleaded  the  greatest  fatigue  and  my  impa 
tience  amounted  to  crossness. 

After  they  had  gone  I  dismissed  Jasper 
and  Petunia  and  locked  the  back  doors,  put 
301 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

out  all  the  lights  in  the  house  and  retired 
to  the  side  steps,  determined  to  be  invisible 
no  matter  who  called  —  and  wait! 

And  for  one  mortal  hour  there  I  sat  alone 
in  that  waning  old  moonlight,  that  grew 
colder  and  paler  by  the  minute,  while  the 
stiff  breeze  that  poured  down  from  Old  Har- 
peth  began  to  be  vicious  and  icy  as  it  nipped 
my  ears  and  hands  and  nose  and  sent  a  chill 
down  to  my  very  toes. 

Nobody  came  and  there  I  sat! 

Finally,  with  the  tears  tangling  icily  in 
my  lashes,  I  got  up  and  went  into  the  house 
and  lighted  the  fat  pine  under  the  logs  in 
the  hall.  They  had  lain  all  ready  for  the 
torch  for  a  whole  year,  just  as  I  had  lain 
for  a  lifetime  until  a  few  weeks  ago. 
Then  suddenly  they  blazed  —  as  I  had 
done. 

My  condition  was  pitiable.     I  felt  that  all 

nature  had  deserted  me,  the  climate,  Indian 

summer,    the   harvest   moon   and   my  own 

charm,  but  my  head  was  up  and  I  was  going 

302 


TOGETHER? 

to  crackle  pluckily  along  to  my  blaze,  so  I 
turned  towards  the  door  to  go  across  the 
road  and  put  my  fate  to  the  test,  even  if  I 
took  pneumonia  standing  begging  at  his 
front  door.  I  hoped  I  would  find  him  in 
the  lodge  and  — 

"  Evelina,"  he  exclaimed  as  he  burst 
open  my  door,  flung  himself  into  the  fire 
light  and  seized  my  arm  like  a  robber  baron 
of  the  Twelfth  Century,  making  a  grab  for 
his  lady-love  in  the  midst  of  her  hostile 
kindred,  "  I  thought  I  would  never  get  here ! 
I  ran  all  the  way  up  from  the  office. 
Here  's  a  telegram  from  Mr.  Hall  that  .says 
that  the  two  roads  have  merged  and  will 
take  the  bluff  route  past  Glendale,  and  give 
us  the  shops, —  and  wants  to  appoint  me  the 
General  Attorney  for  the  Southern  Section. 
They  want  me  to  come  on  to  New  York 
by  the  first  train.  Can  you  marry  me  in  the 
morning  so  we  can  take  the  noon  express 
from  Bolivar?  I  won't  go  without  you. 
Please,  dear,  please,"  and  as  he  stood  and 
303 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

looked  at  me  in  the  firelight,  all  the  relief 
and  excitement  over  his  news  died  out  of 
his  lovely  eyes  and  just  the  want  of  me 
filled  them  from  their  very  depths. 

For  several  interminable  centuries  of  time 
I  stood  perfectly  still  and  looked  into  them 
daringly,  drinking  my  fill  for  the  first  time 
and  offering  him  a  like  cup  in  my  own. 

"  Eve,"  he  said  so  softly  that  I  doubt  if 
he  really  spoke  the  word. 

"Adam!"  I  let  myself  go,  and  at  last 
pressed  my  answer  against  his  lips  as  he 
folded  me  tight  and  safe. 

It  must  have  been  some  time  after,  I  am 
sure  I  don't  know  how  long,  but  I  was  most 
(beautifully  adjusted  against  his  shoulder 
and  he  had  my  hand  pressed  to  his  cheek, 
when  the  aw  fulness  of  what  had  happened 
brought  me  straight  up  on  my  own  feet  and 
almost  out  of  his  arms. 

"  Oh,  how  could  you  have  done  it ! "  I 
fairly  wailed,  as  I  thought  of  what  this  aw 
ful  complication  was  going  to  lose  for  the 
304 


TOGETHER? 

Five  to  whom  I  felt  more  tender  in  that 
second  than  I  had  ever  felt  before. 

"Done  what?"  he  demanded  in  alarm, 
pressing  both  my  hands  against  his  breast 
and  drawing  me  towards  him  again. 

"  Asked  me  to  marry  you  when  I  —  " 

"  I  have  been  fighting  desperately  to  see 
some  way  to  offer  myself  and  all  my  im 
pedimenta  to  you  all  this  time,  and  this  has 
made  it  all  right,  don't  you  see,  dear?  "  he 
interrupted  me  to  say,  as  he  took  possession 
of  me  again  and  held  me  with  a  tender 
fierceness,  which  had  more  of  suffering  in 
it  than  passion.  "  I  have  always  wanted 
you,  Eve,  since  before  you  went  away,  but 
it  did  n't  seem  right  to  ask  you  to  come  into 
a  life  so  encumbered  as  mine  was.  Poverty 
made  it  seem  impossible,  but  now,  if  you 
will  be  just  a  little  patient  with  them  all,  I 
can  arrange — " 

"  I  was  going  to  arrange  all  that  my  own 
self,  and  now  just  see  what  you  have  done 
to  me  and  a  whole  lot  of  other  women,  be- 
305 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

sides  making  me  miserable  all  summer," 
and  crowded  so  close  under  his  chin  that 
he  could  n't  see  my  face,  I  told  him  all  about 
the  tinder-box  Jane  had  loaded  and  then 
set  me  on  the  lid  to  see  that  it  exploded. 

I  had  just  worked  myself  up  to  the  point 
of  how  my  incendiary  mission  was  about  to 
touch  off  all  the  other  love  affairs  in  town, 
when  he  began  to  shake  so  with  disrespect 
ful  laughter  that  I  felt  that  my  dignity  was 
about  to  demand  that  I  withdraw  coldly 
from  his  arms,  where  I  had  just  got  so  warm 
and  comfortable  and  at  home;  but  with  the 
first  slight  intimation  of  my  intention,  which 
was  conveyed  by  a  very  feeble  indeed  loosen 
ing  of  my  arms  from  around  his  Henry  Clay 
collar,  he  held  me  firmly  against  him  and 
controlled  his  unseemly  mirth,  only  I  could 
still  feel  it  convulsing  his  left  lung, — • 
though  as  I  had  no  business  being  near 
enough  to  notice  it,  I  felt  it  only  fair  not  to. 

"  Please  don't  worry  about  those  other 
Five  dear  women,"  he  begged,  in  the  nicest 
306 


TOGETHER? 

and  most  considerate  voice  possible  so  that 
I  tightened  my  arms  again  as  I  listened. 
"If  Miss  Mathers  does  n't  feel  justified 
in  giving  up  the  dowries  by  your  —  your 
failure  to  prove  the  proposition,  we  can 
just  invite  them  all  down  here  and  in 
Glendale  and  Bolivar  and  Hillsboro  and 
Providence,  to  say  nothing  of  the  coun 
tryside,  we  can  plant  them  all  cozily.  I 
can  delicately  explain  to  their  choices  exactly 
how  to  let  them  manage  circumstances  like 
—  "  he  illustrated  his  scheme  just  here  until 
it  took  time  for  me  to  get  breath  to  listen 
to  the  rest  of  his  apology  — • "  this  and  there 
is  no  telling,  with  such  a  start  as  the  cult 
has  got  in  the  Harpeth  Valley  already,  how 
far  it  will  spread.  Please  forgive  me, 
dear!" 

"  Yes,"  I  answered  doubtfully.  Then  I 
raised  my  head  and  looked  him  full  in  the 
face  as  I  made  my  declaration  calmly  but 
with  the  perfect  conviction  that  I  still  have 
and  always  will  have,  world  without  end. 
307 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

"  Yes,  but  don't  you  think  for  one  minute 
I  don't  know  that  what  Jane  and  I  and  all 
the  most  advanced  women  in  the  world  are 
trying  for  is  the  right  and  just  and  the  only 
way  for  men  and  women  to  come  logically 
into  the  kind  of  heritage  you  and  I  have 
stumbled  into.  Absolute  freedom  and 
equality  between  all  human  beings  is  going 
to  be  the  price  of  Kingdom  Come.  I  shall 
always  be  humiliated  that  I  got  scared  out 
in  the  graveyard  and  did  n't  do  it  to  you. 
It  is  going  to  be  the  regret  of  my  life." 

"  Truly,  I  'm  sorry,  sweetheart,"  he  an 
swered  most  contritely.  "  If  I  were  to  take 
my  hat  and  go  back  to  the  gate  and  come  in 
again  properly  and  let  you  do  it,  would  that 
make  you  feel  any  better?" 

"  No,  it  would  n't,"  I  answered  quickly 
because  why  should  I  be  separated  from  him 
all  the  two  and  a  half  minutes  it  would  take 
to  play  out  that  farce,  when  I  have  been 
separated  from  him  all  the  twenty-five  years 
that  stretch  from  now  back  until  the  day  of 
308 


TOGETHER? 

my  birth ?  "I  am  going  to  bear  it  bravely 
and  hold  up  my  head  and  tell  Jane  —  " 

"  I  would  n't  bother  to  hold  up  my  head 
to  tell  her,  Evelina,"  came  from  the  door 
way  in  Folk's  delighted  drawl  as  he  and 
Jane  stepped  into  the  room.  "  Pretty  com 
fortably  placed,  that  head,  I  should  say." 

"  Oh,  Jane ! "  I  positively  wailed  as  I 
extracted  myself  from  the  Crag's  gray  arms 
and  buried  myself  in  Jane's  white  serge 
ones  that  opened  to  receive  me.  And  the 
seconds  that  I  rested  silently  there  Polk 
spent  in  shaking  both  of  the  Crag's  hands 
and  pounding  him  on  the  back  so  that  I  grew 
alarmed. 

"  I  did  n't  do  it,  Jane,  I  did  n't  do  it,"  I 
almost  sobbed  with  fear  of  what  her  dis 
appointment  was  going  to  be.  "  He  beat 
me  to  it !  " 

"  Truly,  I  'm  sorry,"  Cousin  James  added 
to  my  apology  as  he  stood  with  his  arm  on 
Polk's  shoulder. 

"  I  dare  you,  dare,  you  to  tell  'em,  Jane," 
309 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

Polk  suddenly  said,  coming  over  and  put 
ting  a  hand  on  one  of  my  shoulders  and  one 
on  Jane's. 

"  Evelina  and  Mr.  Hardin,"  Jane  an 
swered  gallantly  with  her  head  assuming  its 
lovely  independent  pose,  but  with  the  most 
wonderful  blush  spreading  the  beauty  that 
always  ought  to  have  been  hers  all  over  her 
one-time  plain  face,  "  the  wager  stands  as 
won  by  Evelina  Shelby.  She  had  properly 
prepared  the  ground  and  sowed  the  seed  of 
justice  and  right  thinking  that  I  —  I  har 
vested  to-night.  I  had  the  honor  of 'offer 
ing  marriage  to  Mr.  Hayes  just  about  fif 
teen  minutes  ago.  I  consider  that  mode  of 
procedure  proved  as  feasible  and  as  soon  as 
I  have  received  my  answer,  whatever  it  is, 
I  shall  immediately  proceed  with  making 
the  endowment  and  choosing  the  five  young 
women  according  to  the  agreement." 

"  Polk!  "  I  exclaimed,  turning  to  him  in  a 
perfect  panic  of  alarm.  Could  he  be  trifling 
with  Jane? 

310 


TOGETHER? 

"  Evelina,"  answered  Polk,  giving  me  a 
shake  and  a  shove  over  in  the  direction  of 
the  Crag,  "  you  ought  to  know  me  better 
than  to  think  I  would  answer  such  a  ques 
tion  as  Jane  put  to  me,  while  driving  a 
cranky  car  in  waning  moonlight.  If  you 
and  James  will  just  mercifully  betake  your 
selves  out  there  on  the  porch  in  the  cold  for 
a  few  minutes  I  will  try  and  add  my  data 
to  this  equality  experiment  with  due  dig 
nity.  Go ! " 

We  went ! 

"  Love-woman,"  whispered  the  Crag,  af 
ter  I  had  broken  it  to  him  that  we  were  going 
to  be  a  Governor  of  Tennessee,  and  not  a 
railroad  attorney,  and  he  had  crooned  his 
"  Swing  Low "  over  me  and  rocked  me 
against  his  breast  for  a  century  of  seconds, 
down  on  my  old  front  gate,  "  you  are  right 
about  the  whole  question.  I  see  that, 
and  I  want  to  help  —  but  if  I'm  stupid 
about  life,  will  you  hold  my  hand  in  the 
dark?" 

311 


THE  TINDER-BOX 

"  Yes,"  I  answered  with  both  generosity 
and  courage. 

And  truly  if  the  world  is  in  the  dusk  of 
the  dawn  of  a  new  day,  what  can  men  and 
women  do  but  cling  tight  and  feel  their 
way  —  together  ? 


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UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


